TX 
715 


187 


ETOCKKD 
CASE 


AGRfCULl 


PRICE,  TWENTY-FIVE  CENTS. 


TWENTY-FIVE  CENT  Di 


FAMILIES  OF  SIX. 


JULIET  -CORSON, 

U  "• 

Superintendent  of  the  New  York  Cooking  School. 


THIRTEENTH   EDITION,  REVISED  AND  ENLARGED. 


New    York: 

ORANGE   JUDD    COMPA * 

243     BROADWAY. 

1879. 


O  TJ  S  E  - 13  L  A.  N"  S 


FOR 


EVERYBODY. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  By  S.   B.  REED,  Architect. 

fCtNI       _ 

Thie-is  a  valuable  work  which  meets  the  wants  of  persons  of  moderate 


means,  and  will,  it  is  believed,  prove  one  of  the 

MOST  POPULAR  ARCHITECTURAL  BOOKS 

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One  feature  of  the  work  imparts  a  value  over  any  similar  publication  of  the 
kind  that  we  have  seen.  It  gives  an 

ESTIMATE  OF  THE  QUANTITY  OF  EVERY  ARTICLE  USED 

in  the  construction,  and  the  cost  of  each  material  at  the  time  the  building  was 
erected,  or  the  design  made.  Even  if  prices  vary  from  time  to  time,  one  can, 
from  these  data,  ascertain  within  a  few  dollars,  the  probable  cost  of  construct- 
ing any  one  of  the  buildings  here  presented. 

PROFUSELY  ILLUSTRATED.    12mo.    PRICE,  POST-PAID,  $1.50. 


Winter  Greeneries  at  Home. 

By   REV.    E.    A.    JOHNSON,  D.  D. 

Author  of  '•  Half  Hour  Studies  at  Home,"  etc. 

This  Volume  differs  from  most  other  works  on  winter  gardening,  in  giving 
the  results  of  actual  practice.    The  author  for  several  years  past  has  found  re- 
creation in  beautifying  his  study  with  plains;  his  work  has  resulted  in  so  much 
enjoyment  to  himself  and  his  friends,  that  he  has  been  induced  to  tell  what  he 
did,  and  how  he  did  it.    The  book  is  not  a  mere  dry  set  of  directions,  but  its 
teachings  are  presented  in  the  pleasant  form  of  letters  to  some  young  ladies, 
who,  having  witnessed  tho  author's  success,  have  asked  his  instruction,  and  this 
.   .0  pervade  the  work,  and  makes  it  withal  readable,  as 
nost  excellent  guide  to  successful  winter-gardening, 
,  with  cur  peculiar  domestic  surroundings,  and  those 
1  reach  a  satisfactory  measure  of  success.    The  en- 
gt»\i:  rescntations  of  the  author's  study. 

IATED.    12mo.    PRICE,  POST-PAID,  $1. 

OMPANY,  245  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


TWENTY-FIVE  CENT  DINNERS 


FOR 


FAMILIES   OF  SIX. 


JULIET  (CoRSOx, 

Superintendent  of  the  New  York  Cooking  ScJiool. 

AUTHOR     OF     "  THE     COOKING     MANUAL,'*      "  OUR     HOUSEHOLD     COUNCIL,"      "  7HB 

BILL    OF    FARE,    WITH    ACCOMPANYING    RECEIPTS    AND    ESTIMATED  COST," 

"A     TEXT-BOOK     FOR     COOKING     SCHOOLS,"     "FIFTEEN-CENT 

DINNERS     FOR    WORKINGMEN'g     FAMILIES,"     ETC. 


THIRTEENTH    EDITION,  REVISED   AND    ENLARGED. 


NEW  YORK  : 

ORANGE   JUDD    COMPANY, 
245    BRO.ADWAY, 


1879. 


Copyright  by  JULIET  CORSON,  1878. 
All  Rights  Reserved. 


PREFACE 

TO 

• 

THE  REVISED  AND  ENLARGED  EDITION. 


DURING  the  time  that  this  little  book  has  been 
a  candidate  for  public  favor,  it  has  attained  a  success  far 
beyond  the  expectations  of  its  most  sanguine  advocates ; 
and  in  issuing  this  revised  and  enlarged  edition  the  author 
returns  her  sincere  thanks  to  both  press  and  public,  who 
have  so  substantially  seconded  her  efforts  for  culinary  re- 
form. 

In  this  edition  an  additional  chapter  has  been  devoted 
to  the  preparation  of  fruit  for  dessert,  with- special  reference 
to  the  needs  of  American  housewives.  Most  American 
ladies  prepare  fruit  for  table  use  either  by  canning  it, 
or  making  it  into  rich  and  expensive  preserves;  while  both 
of  these  methods  are  palatable,  and  available  for  winter 
use,  the  receipts  given  in  the  closing  chapter  will  provide  a 
welcome  variety  for  serving  fresh  fruits  at  the  table,  and  will 
tend  to  increase  the  healthy  consumption  of  those  abundant 
and  excellent  domestic  productions,  while  they  cannot  fail 
to  decrease  the  deplorable  prevalence  of  that  objectionable 
national  compound,  the  pie. 

Recent  investigations  concerning  retail  prices  in  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  country  confirm  the  author  in  the 
estimate  of  cost  given  in  this  work  ;  in  certain  localities 
some  of  the  articles  quoted  are  more  expensive,  while 
others  are  cheaper ;  but  the  average  is  about  equal. 

AGRICULTURE 
GIFT 


PREFACE. 


To  ECONOMICAL  HOUSEWIVES  : 

THE  wide  publicity  which  the  press  in  different  sections  of  the 
country  has  given  to  my  offer  to  show  workingpeople  earning  a  dollar 
and  a  half,  or  less,  per  day,  how  to  get  a  good  dinner  for  fifteen  cents, 
has  brought  me  a  great  many  letters  from  those  who  earn  more,  and  can 
consequently  afford  a  more  extended  diet. 

In  response  to  their  requirements  I  have  written  this  book,  which  I 
hope  will  be  found  servicable  in  that  middle  department  of  cookery  it 
is  designed  to  occupy,  where  we  begin  to  look  for  more  than  the  abso- 
lute necessaries  of  life;  it  is  a  practical  guide  to  the  economical,  health- 
ful, and  palatable  preparation  of  food,  and  will  serve  to  show  that  it  is 
possible  to  live  well  upon  a  very  moderate  income. 

It  is  necessary  to  repeat  in  this  book  some  of  the  directions  given  in 
the  work  on  "FIFTEEN  CENT  DINNERS;"  but  I  hope  their  reappearance 
will  be  pardoned  on  the  ground  of  their  usefulness,  and  also  because 
the  first  book  will  fail  to  reach  many  for  whom  this  one  is  intended. 

The  cheapest  kinds  of  food  are  sometimes  the  most  wholesome  and 
strengthening;  but  in  order  to  obtain  all  their  best  qualities  we  must 
know  how  to  choose  them  for  their  freshness,  goodness,  and  suitability 
to  our  needs.  That  done,  we  must  know  how  to  cook  them,  so  as  to 
make  savory  and  nutritions  meals  instead  of  tasteless  or  sodden  messes, 
the  eating  whereof  sends  the  man  to  the  liquor  shop  for  consolation. 

Good  food,  properly  cooked,  gives  us  good  blood,  sound  bones, 
healthy  brains,  strong  nerves,  and  firm  flesh,  to  say  nothing  of  good 
tempers  and  kind  hearts.  These  are  surely  worth  a  little  trouble  to 
secure. 

The  first  food  of  nearly  aft  living  creatures  is  milk,  the  only  entire 
natural  food ;  that  is,  the  only  food  -upon  which  health  and  strength 
can  be  sustained  for  any  length  of  time,  without  using  any  other  nour- 
ishment. For  this  reason  it  is  the  best  food  you  can  give  the  children 
if  you  must  restrict  their  diet  at  all;  and  it  is  also  a  valuable  addition 
to  the  food  of  grown  persons.  While  this  fact  about  milk  is  settled,  it 
is  generally  acknowledged  by  people  who  study  the  subject  that  we 

754 


iV.  PREFACE. 

thrive  best  on  a  variety.  We  get  warmth  and  strength  from  fat  meat, 
wheat,  rye,  barley,  rice,  milk,  sugar,  fruit,  peas,  beans,  lentils,  macaro- 
ni, and  the  roots  of  vegetables;  we  gain  flesh  from  lean  meat,  unbolted 
flour,  oatmeal,  eggs,  cheese,  and  green  vegetables;  and,  if  we  want  to 
think  clearly,  we  must  use  fish,  poultry,  the  different  grains,  and  a  good 
variety  of  fruit  and  vegetables. 

The  food  most  generally  in  use  among  the  masses  is  just  that  which 
meets  their  requirements.  No  hungry  man  will  spend  money  for  what 
he  knows  will  not  satisfy  his  appetite,  and  a  natural  appetite  may  al- 
ways be  trusted.  For  that  reason  the  receipts  given  in  this  book  treat 
of  the  articles  in  common  use,  with  the  exception  of  lentils  and  maca- 
roni, which  are  foods  that  I  earnestly  beg  all  to  try.  In  meals  made 
up  of  bacon,  potatoes  and  bread,  of  corned  beef  and  cabbage,  and  of 
pork  and  beans,  there  exists  an  equal  and  sufficient  amount  of  nourish- 
ment;  but  if  other  dishes  are  added  to  these,  the  variety  will  result  in 
better  general  health  and  contentment.- If  we  were  to  live  day  after 
day  on  rice,  bread,  potatoes,  or  any  one  other  article  of  food,  we  would 
not  long  be  strong  enough  for  any  kind  of  work.  In  matters  of  diet 
variety  is  not  only  the  spice  of  life,  it  is  the  necessity. 

In  estimating  cost,  I  have  naturally  supposed  that  the  family  con- 
sists of  father,  mother,  and  children  of  different  ages,  and  not  of  six 
adults;  for  them  the  quantities  given  would,  of  course,  be  insufficient. 
I  allow  a  meat  dinner  every  day ;  but  in  order  to  have  this  the  meat  it- 
self must  generally  be  used  one  day,  with  bread  or  vegetables,  and  the 
next  day  the  breakfast  must  be  the  broth  or  juice  of  the  meat,  which,  if 
prepared  according  to  my  directions,  will  afford  equal  nourishment. 

I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the  following  important  fact.  The 
hardy  and  thrifty  working  classes  of  France,  the  country  where  the  most 
rigid  economy  in  regard  to  food  is  practised,  never  use  tea  or  coffee  for 
breakfast,  and  seldom  use  milk.  Their  food  and  drink  is  BROTH.  Not 
the  broth  from  fresh  meat,  for  they  do  not  often  eat  that;  but  that 
which  is  made  from  vegetables,  and  perhaps  a  bit  of  bacon  or  salt  pork. 

If  you  will  reflect  on  the  reasons  I  give  in  the  next  chapter  for  boil- 
ing food,  instead  of  roasting  or  baking  it,  you  will  learn  two  important 
lessons  in  economy,  namely :  that  boiling  saves  at  least  one  fourth  the 
volume  of  food,  and  that  the  broth  which  is  produced,  when  properly 
managed,  always  gives  the  foundation  for  another  meal.  You  should 
always  bear  in  mind  that  the  object  of  cooking  is  to  soften  and  disinte- 


PREFACE.  V. 

grate  food,  so  that  it  can  be  easily  masticated ;  and  to  expand  it,  so  as 
to  present  a  large  surface  to  the  action  of  the  digestive  organs.  In  this 
connection  you  must  open  your  eyes  to  certain  physiological  facts  if  you 
want  your  food  to  agree  with  you.)  I  shall  not  tell  you  more,  and  per- 
haps not  so  much,  as  you  ought  to  know,  and  to  teach  your  children. 

In  calculating  the  cost  of  the  receipts  I  give  you,  I  have  used  the 
retail  prices  asked  in  Washington  market,  and  in  ordinary  grocery 
stores,  at  this  season  of  the  year;  the  average  is  about  the  same  as  that 
of  past  years,  and  probably  will  not  change  much;  so  that  I  believe  I 
have  not  placed  too  low  an  estimate  upon  them. 

At  the  first  glance  it  may  seem  impossible  to  buy  healthy  meat  at 
the  prices  I  give,  but  you  must  remember  that  I  speak  of  the  good  sec- 
ond quality  of  meat,  and  that  the  marketing  must  be  done  with  econo- 
my, and  in  low-priced  localities.  It  can  be  done,  for  I  have  done  it 
myself.  Go  to  packing  houses,  and  provision  stores,  for  meats;  to 
German  green -groceries  for  vegetables,  and  fruit;  and  to  "speciality" 
stores,  for  butter,  sugar,  tea,  et  cetera.  « 

In  conclusion  I  only  have  to  say  that  I  hope  my  little  book  will  be 
useful  to  every  one  who  consults  it. 

JULIET  CORSON. 
New   York  Cooking  School. ' 


VI. 


DAILY  BILLS  OF  FARE-  FOR  ONE  WEEK. 

,  Breakfast :  Johnny  Cake,  5  ;  Cocoa,  6  ;  Broil-       n 
ed  Herring,  5 16 

J  Dinner :  Chicken  Soup  with  Rice,  5  ;  Fried 

Chicken  and  Potatoes,  35 40  "  .   75 

Supper :  Tea,  3  ;  Broiled  Kidneys,  10  ;  Rice 
Bread,  6 19  - 

f  Breakfast :  Pulled  Bread,  3  ;  Coffee,  6  ;  Maca-       1 

roni,  Farmers'  Style,  10 19  I 

TUESDAY...  -[  Dinner:  Broth  and  Brewis,  5  ;  Stewed  Beef       I     62 

with  Norfolk  Dumplings,  19 24  | 

Supper :  Tea,  3  ;  Peas  Pudding,  10  ;  Bread,  6.^19  J 
f  Breakfast :    Biscuit,  6  ;    Cocoa,  6  ;  Codfish       . 

Steaks,  15 27 

WEDNESDAY     Dinner :  Spinach  Soup,  15  ;  Gammon  Dump-        [       ,, 

lings  and  Potatoes,  15 30  f      ' 

Supper :  Tea,  3  ;  Baked  Beans,  10 ;  Potato 

Bread,  6 19  J 

r  Breakfast :  Breakfast  Rolls,    6  ;    Cocoa,   6  ;       ") 

Stewed  Pig's  Kidneys,  10 22  [ 

Dinner :   Macaroni  with  White  Sauce,   10  ; 
THURSDAY..  Brain  and  Liver  Pudding,  with  potatoes,        \     69 

18 28  | 

Supper  :  Tea,  3  ;  Rice,  Japanese  Style,  10  ; 

"  Bread,  6 19  J 

Breakfast :  Indian  Cakes,  5  ;  Coffee,  6  ;  Veg- 
etable Porridge,    15 26 

FRIDAY  Dinner  :  Thick  Pea  Soup,  6  ;  Fish  and  Potato  — 

Pudding,  15 21  f          - 

Supper :    Tea,  3  ;    Fried   Beans,   10 ;    Rice        I 

Bread,  6 19  J 

f  Breakfast:  Biscuit,  6;  Cocoa,  6  ;  Rice,  Mi-       ") 

lanaise  Style,  10 22  I 

SATURDAY..  \  Dinner  :  Mutton  Broth,  with  Barley,  3  ;  Epi-        }.     58 

gramme  of  Lamb,  16  ;  Potatoes,  3 22  | 

[  Supper:  Tea,  3 ;  Polenta,  5 ;  Potato  Bread,  6  . .   14  J 

Breakfast :    Toast,   6  ;    Fried   Lentils,    10  ;       1 

Coffee,  6  ;  Oatmeal  Porridge,  8 30 

SUNDAY         J  Dinner  :  Roast  Fowl  and  Baked  Potatoes,  38  ; 

Half-pay  Pudding,  20 58  |       l9 

Supper  :  German  Potatoes,  10  ;  Cream  Rice 
Pudding,  15  ;  Bread,  6 31 

ToTAL $5-25 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Marketing. 

Composition  and  nutritive  value  of  Meat,  Blood,  and  Bones — 

How    to     choose    Meat — Beef— Mutton — Lamb — Veal 

Pork— Poultry— Game  Birds — Fish — Vegetables — Fruit. . .         10 

CHAPTER  II. 

Sfow  to  Cook,  Season,  and  Measure. 

Effect  of  different  methods  of  cooking — Roasting  or  Baking — 
Broiling — Boiling  and  Stewing — Frying — Cooking  Salt  and 
Smoked  Meats — Seasoning  Food — Dried  Celery  and  Pars- 
ley—Dried Herbs— Table  Sauce— Celery  Salt— Spice  Salt- 
Lemon,  Orange,  and  Vanilla  Tinctures — Table  for  Measur- 
ing Food 16 

CHAPTER  III. 
Beverages. 

Tea — Coffee— Cocoa    and    Chocolate — Beer — Barley    Water — 

Milk— Lime  Water 20 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Bread,  Macaroni,  and  Rice. 

Comparative  price  and  nutritive  value  of  different  kinds  of 
bread — Homemade  Bread — Rice  Bread — Potato  Bread — 
Pulled  Bread — Bread  made  with  Baking  Powder — Break- 
fast Rolls — Tea  Biscuit — Nutritive  value  of  Macaroni — Mac- 
aroni Farmers*  Style — Macaroni  with  Broth — Macaroni 
with  White  Sauce — Macaroni  with  Cheese — Macaroni  Mila- 
naise  Style — Macaroni  with  Tomato  Sauce — Tomato 
Sauce — Rice — Rice  Panada — Boiled  Rice — Rice  Milanaise 

Style— Rice  Japanese  Style 24 

[vii.] 


CONTENTS. 

• 

CHAPTER  V. 

Soup, 

PAGE. 

Nutritive  value  of  Soup — General  directions  for  making  Soup^- 
Scotch  Broth  without  Meat — Pea  Soup — Thick  Pea  Soup- 
Bean  Soup— Lentil  Soup — Onion  Soup — Spinach  Soup— 
Francatelli's  Vegetable  Soup — Vegetable  Porridge — Rice 
Milk— Fish  Soup— Fish  Chowder— Mutton  Broth— Veal 
Broth— White  Broth— Cream  Soup— Beef  Broth— Norfolk 
Dumplings — Meat  Brewis 31 

CHAPTER   VI. 
Peas,  Beans,  Lentils,  and  Maize. 

Value  of  Leguminous  Vegetables  for  Hard  Workers— Oatmeal 
and  Peas — Peas-Pudding — Peas  and  Bacon — Baked  Peas — 
Peas  and  Onions — Baked  Beans — Stewed  Beans — Fried 
Beans — Beans  and  Bacon — Boiled  Lentils — Stewed  Len- 
tils— Fried  Lentils — Indian  Corn  Meal — Polenta — Cheese 
Pudding — Hasty  Pudding — Johnny  Cake — Indian  Cakes — 
Indian  Bread — Boiled  Indian  Pudding — Baked  Indian  Pud- 
ding    38 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Cheap    Fish   and  Meat   Dinners. 

Nutritive  value  of  Fish — Pickled  Fish — London  Fried  Fish — 
Fish  and  Potato  Pie — Fish  Pudding — Fish  and  Potato  Pud- 
ding— Codfish  Steaks  —Red  Herrings  with  Potatoes— Cheap 
Meats— Sheeps'  Head  Stew— Oxtail  Stew— Beef  Pie- 
Baked  Heart — Stewed  Kidneys  and  Potatoes — Pig's  Kid- 
neys— Kidney  Pudding — Gammon  Dumpling — Bacon  and 
Apple  Roly-poly — Mutton  and  Onions — Pork  and  Onions- 
Veal  and  Rice— Irish  Stew— Sheep's  Haslet— Baked  Pig's 
Head 43 


CONTENTS.  ix. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Sunday  Dinners. 

PAGE. 

Economy  of  Combination  Dishes— Roast  Fowl— Forcemeat  or 
Stuffing — Chicken  Gravy — Fried  Chicken — Frying  Batter — 
Chicken  Broth— New  York  Cooking  School  Fricassee— Suet 
Dumplings— Rabbit  Curry— Rabbit  Pie— Pickled  Shad— Pork 
Pie— Pork  Chops— Roast  Pork  and  Apples— Stewed  Sausage 
— German  Potatoes  —  Brain  and  Liver  Pudding — Broiled 
Kidneys — Tripe,  Curry,  and  Rice — Liver  Polenta— A  la  Mode 
Beef— Meat  Patties— Boiled  Mutton— Mutton  rechauffee — 
Mutton  Kromeskys — Plain  Frying  Batter — Epigramme  of 
Lamb — Roast  Veal — Forcemeat  for  Veal — Blanquette  of  Veal 
— Veal  and  Ham  Patties 50 

CHAPTER    IX. 
Cheap  Puddings,  Pies,  and  Cakes. 

Comparative  nutritive  value  of  Puddings,  Pies,  and  Cakes — Swiss 
Pudding — Cream  Sauce  —  College  Puddings — Cream  Rice 
Pudding— Half-pay  Pudding— Bread  Pudding— Cup  Custards 
— Fruit  Dumpling — Apple  Dumplings — Baked  Apple  Dump- 
lings—Lemon Dumplings—Rice  Croquettes— Fruit  Tarts- 
Rice  Cake— Rock  Cakes — Caraway  Cake— Soft  Gingerbread 
— Sweet  Biscuits 62 

CHAPTER  X. 
Dessert  Dishes. 

Directions  for  making  cheap  and  enjoyable  delicacies  from  Fruit 
—Apple  Black  Caps— Apple  Snow— Apple  Cakes— Cherry 
Cheese— Candied  Cherries— Currant  Salad— Iced  Currants- 
Compote  of  Damsons — Stuffed  Dates — Stewed  Figs — Compote 
of  Gooseberries— Gooseberry  Cheese  —  Gooseberry  Fool- 
Grape  Jelly — Green  Gage  Compote — Pine  Apple  Julep — 
Lemon  Snow— Melon  Compote  — Orange  Salad— Orange 
and  Apple  Compote— Peach  Salad — Cold  Compote  of  Pears- 
Stewed  Prunelles — Quince  Cakes — Quince  Snow — Iced  Rasp- 
berries— Raspberry  Salad— Compote  of  Strawberries— Straw- 
berry Drops — Compote  of  Mixed  Fruits — Fruit  Juice 67 


to 


CHAPTER   I. 
MARKETING. 

THE  most  perfect  meats  are  taken  from  well-fed,  full-grown  ani- 
mals, that  have  not  been  over- worked,  under-fed,  or  hard-driven;  the 
flesh  is  firm,  tender,  and  well-flavored,  and  abounds  in  nutritious  ele- 
ments. On  the  other  hand,  the  flesh  of  hard-worked  or  ill-fed  crea- 
tures is  tough,  hard,  and  tasteless. 

All  animal  flesh  is  composed  of  albumen,  fibrin,  and  gelatin,  in  the 
proportion  of  about  one  fifth  of  its  weight;  the  balance  of  its  substance 
is  made  up  of  the  juice,  which  consists  of  water,  and  those  soluble  salts 
and  phosphates  which  are  absolutely  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of 
health.  It  is  this  juice  which  is  extracted  from  beef  in  the  process  of 
making  beef  tea;  and  it  is  the  lack  of  it  in  salted  meats  that  makes  them 
such  an  injurious  diet  when  eaten  for  any  length  of  time  to  the  exclusion 
of  other  food.  <s*fc*fc« 

The  flesh  of  young  animals  is  less  nutritious,  and  less  easily  masti- 
cated than  that  of  full  grown  animals,  on  account  of  its  looser  texture. 
Beef,  which  has  firmer  and  larger  fibres  than  mutton,  is  harder  to  di- 
gest on  that  account,  but  it  contains  an  excess  of  strengthening  ele- 
ments that  is  not  approached  by  any  meat,  save  that  of  the  leg  of 
pork. 

The  tongues  of  various  animals,  the  fibres  of  which  are  small  and 
tender,  are  nutritious  and  digestible ;  the  heart  is  nutritious  because  it 
is  composed  of  solid  flesh,  but  the  density  of  its  fibre  interferes  with  its 
digestibility;  the  other  internal  organs  are  very  nutritious,  and  very 
useful  as  food  for  vigorous  persons  on  that  account,  and  because  they 
are  cheap.  The  blood  of  animals  abounds  in  nutritive  elements;  the 
possibility  of  its  use  as  a  general  food  has  closely  engaged  the  attention 
of  European  scientists;  notably  of  the  members  of  the  University  of 
Copenhagen,  who  recommend  its  use  in  the  following  forms,  in  which 
it  is  not  only  suitable  for  food,  but  also  capable  of  preservation  for  an 
indefinite  time. 


II 

First,  as  sausages,  puddings  and  cakes — being  mixed  with  fat, 
meal,  sugar,  salt,  and  a  few  spices— to  serve  as  a  much  cheaper  substi- 
tute for  meat,  and  intended  especially  for  the  use  of  the  poor  classes; 
and  second,  as  blood -chocolate,  more  especially  suitable  to  be  used  in 
hospitals,  as  well  as  otherwise  in  medical  practice,  in  which  latter  form 
it  has  been  recommended  by  Professor  Panum,  at  a  meeting  of  physi- 
cians at  Copenhagen,  and  is  now  being  employed  in  some  of  the  hospi- 
tals of  that  city. 

Bones  consist  largely  of  animal  matter,  and  earthy  substances  which 
are  invaluable  in  building  up  the  frame  of  the  body.  In  order  to  ob- 
tain all  their  goodness,  we  must  crush  them  well  before  putting  them 
into  soups  or  stews. 

Beef. — The  flesh  of  the  best  quality  of  beef  is  of  a  bright  red  color, 
intersected  with  closely  laid  veins  of  yellowish  fat;  the  kidney  fat,  or 
suet,  is  abundant,  and  there  is  a  thick  layer  upon  the  back.  The  sec- 
ond quality  has  rather  whitish  fat,  laid  moderately  thick  upon  the  back, 
and  about  the  kidneys;  the  flesh  is  close-grained,  having  but  few 
streaks  of  fat  running  through  it,  and  is  of  a  pale  red  color,  and  covered 
with  a  rough,  yellowish  skin.  Poor  beef  is  dark  red,  gristly,  and 
tough  to  the  touch,  with  a  scanty  layer  of  soft,  oily  fat.  Buy  meat  as 
cheap  as  you  can,  but  be  sure  it  is  fresh;  slow  and  long  cooking  will 
make  tough  meat  tender,  but  tainted  meat  is  only  fit  to  throw  away. 
Never  use  it.  You  would,  by  doing  so,  invite  disease  to  enter  the  home 
where  smiling  health  should  reign.  The  best  way  to  detect  taint  in 
any  kind  of  meat  is  to  run  a  sharp,  thin-bladed  knife  close  to  the  bone, 
and  then  smell  it  to  see  if  the  odor  is  sweet.  Wipe  the  knife  after  you 
use  it.  A  small,  sharppwooden  skewer  will  answer,  but  it  must  be 
scraped  every  time  it  is  used,  or  the  meat-juice  remaining  on  it  will  be- 
come tainted,  and  it  will  be  unfit  for  future  use.  If,  when  you  are 
doubtful  about  a  piece  of  meat,  the  butcher  refuses  to  let  you  apply 
this  test  carefully  enough  to  avoid  injuring  the  meat,  you  will  be  safe 
in  thinking  he  is  afraid  of  the  result. 

Mutton. — Prime  mutton  is  bright  red,  with  plenty  of  hard,  white 
fat.  The  flesh  of  the  second  quality  is  dark  red  and  close  grained, 
with  very  few  threads  of  fat  running  through  it;  the  fat  is  rather  soft, 
and  is  laid  thin  on  the  back  and  kidneys,  closely  adhering  to  them. 
The  poorest  healthy  quality  has  very  pale  flesh,  and  thin  white  fat,  and 
the  meat  parts  easily  from  the  bone.  Diseased  mutton  has  decidedly 


12 

yellow  /at,  and  very  soft  flesh,  of  loose  texture.  Tainted  mutton 
smells  bad;  test  it  as  you  would  beef. 

Lamb. — A  carcass  of  lamb  should  weigh  about  twenty-five  pounds 
before  it  is  old  enough  to  be  wholesome  and  nourishing  food ;  before  it 
has  reached  that  age  it  is  watery  and  deficient  in  the  elements  of 
strength;  at  any  age  it  is  more  suitable  food  for  women  and  children 
than  for  healthy  men.  The  finest  kind  has  delicate  rosy  meat,  and 
white,  almost  transparant  fac.  The  flesh  of  the  second  quality  is  soft, 
and  rather  red  compared  with  the  pinkish-white  meat  of  choice  kinds; 
the  fat  is  more  scanty,  and  the  general  appearance  coarser.  The 
poorest  lamb  has  yellow  fat,  and  lean,  flabby  red  meat,  which  keeps 
but  a  short  time.  Test  the  freshness  of  lamb  by  touching  the  kidney- 
fat;  if  it  is  soft  and  moist  the  meat  is  on  the  verge  of  spoiling;  a  bad 
smell  indicates  that  it  is  already  tainted;  it  is  utterly  unfit  for  use. 

Veal.— Prime  veal  is  light  flesh  color,  and  has  abundance  of  hard, 
white,  semi-transparent  fat.  The  flesh  of  the  second  quality  is  red  in 
contrast  to  the  pinkish-white  color  of  the  prime  sort;  and  the  fat  is 
whiter,  coarser-grained,  and  less  abundant.  The  poorest  kind  has  de- 
cidedly red  flesh,  and  very  litttle  kidney-fat.  The  neck  is  the  first 
part  that  taints,  and  it  can  easily  be  tested;  the  loin  is  just  spoiling 
when  the  kidney-fat  begins  to  grow  soft  and  clammy. 

Read  this  sentence  about  BOB-VEAL  carefully,  and  be  sure  to  re- 
member  it.  It  is  the  flesh  of  calves  killed  when  two  or  three  weeks  old, 
or  that  of  "  deaconed  calves,"  which  are  killed  almost  as  soon  as  they 
are  born,  for  the  value  of  their  skins.  This  practice  cannot  be  too 
harshly  condemned  as  a  criminal  waste  of  food ;  for  a  stock  raiser,  or 
farmer,  who  knows  his  business  can  feed  his  calves  until  they  reach  a 
healthy  maturity,  without  seriously  interfering  with  his  supply  of  milk. 
The  flesh  of  BOB-VEAL  is  a  soft,  flabby,  sticky  substance,  of  a  ropy  gel- 
atinous nature;  and,  being  the  first  flesh,  unchanged  by  the  health- 
giving  action  of  air  and  food,  it  is  devoid  of  the  elements  necessary  to 
transform  it  into  wholesome  food.  IT  SHOULD  NEVER  BE  EATEN. 

Pork. — The  best  kind  of  pork  is  fresh  and  pinkish  in  color,  and  the 
fat  is  firm  and  white.  The  second  quality  has  rather  hard,  red  flesh, 
and  yellowish  fat.  The  poorest  kind  has  dark,  coarse  grained  meat, 
soft  fat,  and  discoloured  kidneys.  The  flesh  of  stale  pork  is  moist  and 
clammy^  and  its  smell  betrays  its  condition.  Measly  pork  has  little 
kernels  in  the  fat,  and  is  unhealthy  and  dangerous  food.  After  testing, 


fis  you  would  beef,  so  as  to  see  if  it  is  fresh,  and  making  sure  that  it  is 
not  measly,  we  have  still  to  dread  t"he  presence  of  TRICHINA,  a  danger, 
ous  parasite  present  in  the  flesh  of  some  hogs.  The  surest  preventive 
of  danger  from  this  cause  is  thorough  cooking,  which  destroys  any 
germs  that  may  exist  in  the  meat.  Cook  your  pork  until  it  is  crisp 
and  brown,  by  a  good,  steady  fire,  or  in  boiling  water,  at  least  twenty 
minutes  to  each  pound.  Pork  eaten  in  cold  weather,  or  moderately  in 
summer,  alternately  with  other  meats,  is  a  palatable  and  nutritious  food. 
It  has  a  hard  fibre,  and  needs  to  be  thoroughly  chewed  in  order  to  be 
perfectly  digested;  for  that  reason  it  should  be  sparingly  used  by  the 
young  and  the  very  old.  The  least  fat  is  found  in  the  leg,  which  con- 
tains an  excess  of  flesh-forming  elements,  and  resembles  lean  beef  in 
composition;  the  most  fat  is  in  the  face  and  belly.  When  cured  as  ba- 
con it  readily  takes  on  the  anti-septic  action  of  salt  and  smoke,  and 
becomes  a  valuable  adjunct  to  vegetable  food,  as  well  as  a  pleasant 
relish ;  and  in  this  shape  it  is  one  of  the  most  important  articles  in  gen- 
eral use. 

Poultry. — Both  poultry  and  game  are  less  nutritious  than  meat,  but 
they  are  more  digestible,  and  consequently  are  better  food  than  meat 
for  persons  of  weak  digestive  organs  and  sedentary  habits.  They  are 
both  excellent  for  persons  who  think  or  write  much.  Fresh  poultry 
may  be  known  by  its  full  bright  eyes,  pliable  feet,  and  soft  moist  skin ; 
the  best  is  plump,  fat,  and  nearly  white,  and  the  grain  of  the  flesh  is 
fine.  The  feet  and  neck  of  a  young  fowl  are  large  in  proportion  to  its 
size,  and  the  tip  of  the  breast-bone  is  soft,  and  easily  bent  between  the 
fingers;  a  young  cock,  has  soft,  loose  spurs,  and  a  long,  full,  bright 
red  comb;  old  fowls  have  long,  thin  necks  and  feet,  and  the  flesh  on 
the  legs  and  back  has  a  purplish  shade  ;  chickens  and  fowls  are 
always  in  season. 

Turkeys  are  good  when  white  and  plump,  have  full  breasts  and 
smooth  legs,  generally  black,  with  soft  loose  spurs;  hen  turkeys  are 
smaller,  fatter,  and  plumper,  but  of  inferior  flavor;  full  grown  turkeys 
are  the  best  for  boiling,  as  they  do  not  tear  in  dressing;  old  turkeys 
have  long  hairs,  and  the  flesh  is  purplish  where  it  shows  under  the  skin 
on  the  legs  and  back.  About  March  they  deteriorate  in  quality. 

Young  ducks  and  geese  are  plump,  with  light,  semi-transparent  fat, 
soft  breast-bone,  tender  flesh,  leg  joints  which  will  break  by  thejyeight 
of  the  bird,  fresh  colored  and  brittle  beaks,  and  windpipes  that  break 


14 

when  pressed  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger.     They  are  best  in  fall 
and  winter. 

Young  pigeons  have  light  red  flesh  upon  the  breast,  and  full,  fresh 
colored  legs;  when  the  legs  are  thin,  and  the  breast  is  very  dark,  the 
birds  are  old. 

Game  Birds.— Fine  game  birds  are  always  heavy  for  their  size;  the 
flesh  of  the  breast  is  firm  and  plump,  and  the  skin  clear;  and  if  a  few 
feathers  be  plucked  from  the  inside  of  the  leg  and  around  the  vent,  the 
flesh  of  freshly  killed  birds  will  be  fat  and  fresh  colored;  if  it  is  dark, 
and  discolored,  the  game  has  been  hung  a  long  time.  The  wings  of 
good  ducks,  geese,  pheasants,  and  woodcock  are  tender  to  the  touch; 
the  tips  of  the  long  wing  feathers  of  partridges  are  pointed  in  young 
birds,  and  round  in  old  ones.  Quail,  snipe,  and  small  birds  should 
have  full,  tender  breasts. 

FisL — Fish  is  richer  in  flesh-forming  elements  than  game,  poultry, 
lamb  or  veal,  but  it  contains  less  fat  and  gelatin.  It  is  easily  digested, 
and  makes  strong  muscular  flesh,  but  does  not  greatly  increase  the 
quantity  of  fat  in  the  body.  The  ved  blooded  and  oily  kinds,  such  as 
salmon,  sturgeon,  eels  and  herring,  are  much  more  nutritious  than  the 
white  blooded  varieties,  such  as  cod,  haddock,  and  flounders.  The 
salting  of  rich,  oily  fish  like  herring,  mackerel,  salmon,  and  sturgeon, 
does  not  deprive  it  of  its  nutritive  elements  to  the  extent  that  is 
noticeable  with  cod;  salt  cod  fish  is  almost  entirely  devoid  of  nutriment, 
while  the  first  named  oily  varieties  are  valuable  adjuncts  to  a  vegetable 
diet. 

Although  fish  contains  more  water  and  less  solid  nutriment  than 
meat,  it  is  generally  useful  from  its  abundance  and  cheapness;  and  cer- 
tain kinds  which  are  called  red-blooded,  are  nearly  as  nourishing  as 
meat:  oily  fish  satisfies  hunger  as  completely  as  meat;  herring,  especi- 
ally, makes  the  people  who  eat  it  largely  strong  and  sinewy.  Sea  fish 
are  more  nourishing  than  fresh  water  varieties. 

Sea  fish,  and  those  which  live  in  both  salt  and  fresh  water,  such  as 
salmon,  shad,  and  smelts,  are  the  finest  flavored ;  the  muddy  taste  of 
some  fresh  water  species  can  be  overcome  by  soaking  them  in  cold 
water  and  salt  for  two  hours  or  more  before  cooking;  all  kinds  are  best 
just  before  spawning,  the  flesh  becoming  poor  and  watery  after  that 
period.  Fresh  fish  have  firm  flesh,  rigid  fins,  bright,  clear  eyes,  and 
ruddy  gills. 


15 

Oysters,  clams,  scallops,  and  mussels,  should  be  eaten  very  fresh, 
as  they  soon  lose  their  flavor  after  being  removed  from  the  shell. 

Lobsters  and  crabs  should  be  chosen  by  their  brightness  of  color, 
lively  movement,  and  great  weight  in  proportion  to  their  size;  you 
ought  always  to  buy  them  alive,  and  put  them  head  first  into  a  large 
pot  of  boiling  water,  containing  a  handful  of  salt;  they  will  cook  in 
about  twenty  minutes. 

Vegetables. — ID  order  to  be  healthy  we  must  eat  some  fresh  veget- 
ables; they  are  cheap  and  nourishing,  especially  onions  and  cabbages. 
Peas,  beans,  and  lentils,  all  of  which  are  among  the  lowest  priced  of 
foods,  are  invaluable  in  the  diet  of  a  laboring  man:  he  can  get  so  much 
nourishment  out  of  them  that  he  hardly  needs  meat ;  and  if  they  are 
cooked  in  the  water  that  has  been  used  for  boiling  meat,  they  make  the 
healthiest  kind  of  a  meal. 

All  juicy  vegetables  should  be  very  fresh  and  crisp;  and  if  a  little 
wilted,  can  be  restored  by  being  sprinkled  with  water  and  laid  in  a 
cool,  dark  place;  all  roots  and  tubers  should  be  pared  and  laid  in 
cold  water  an  hour  or  more  before  using.  Green  vegetables  are  best 
just  before  they  flower;  and  roots  and  tubers  are  prime  from  their 
ripening  until  they  begin  to  sprout. 

When  it  is  possible  buy  your  vegetables  by  the  quantity,  from  the 
farmers,  or  market-gardeners,  or  at  the  market;  you  will  save  more 
than  half.  Potatoes  now  cost  at  Washington  market  from  one  to 
one  dollar  and  a  half  a  barrel ;  there  are  three  bushels  in  a  barrel, 
and  thirty-two  quarts  in  a  bushel;  now  at  the  groceries  you  pay 
fifteen  cents  a  half  a,  peck,  or  four  cents  a  quart;  that  makes  your  bar- 
rel of  potatoes  cost  you  three  dollars  and  sixty-three  cents,  if  you  buy 
half  a  peck  at  a  time;  or  three  dollars  and  eighty-four  cents  if  you 
buy  by  the  quart.  So  you  see  if  you  could  buy  a  barrel  at  once  you 
could  save  more  than  one  half  of  your  money.  It  is  worth  while  to 
try  and  save  enough  to  do  it. 

Fruit. — Fresh  fruit  is  a  very  important  food,  especially  for  chil- 
dren, as  it  keeps  the  blood  pure,  and  the  bowels  regular.  Next  to 
grains  and  seeds,  it  contains  the  greatest  amount  of  nutriment  to  a 
given  quantity.  Apples  are  more  wholesome  than  any  other  fruit, 
and  plentiful  and  cheap  two-thirds  of  the  time;  they  nourish,  cool, 
and  strengthen  the  body.  In  Europe  laborers  depend  largely  upon 
them  for  nourishment,  and  if  they  have  plenty,  they  can  do  well 


16 

without  meat.  They  miss  apples  much  more  than  potatoes,  for  they 
are  much  more  substantial  food. 

All  fruit  should  be  bought  ripe  and  sound;  it  is  poor  economy  to 
buy  imperfect  or  decayed  kinds,  as  they  are  neither  satisfactory  nor 
healthy  eating;  while  the  mature,  full  flavored  sorts  are  invaluable 
as  food. 

Preserved  and  dried  fruits  are  luxuries  to  be  indulged  in  only  at 
festivals  or  holidays.  Nuts  are  full  of  nutritious  oil,  but  are  generally 
hard  to  digest;  they  do  not  come  under  the  head  of  the  necessaries 
of  life. 


CHAPTER  II. 

How  TO  COOK,  SEASON,  AND  MEASURE. 

BEFORE  beginning  to  give  you  receipts,  I  wish  to  tell  you  about  the 
effect  of  cooking  food  in  different  ways.  We  all  want  it  cooked  so  that 
we  can  eat  it  easily,  and  get  the  most  strength  from  it,  without  wasting 
any  part  of  it.  I  will  tell  you  some  very  good  reasons  for  making 
soup  and  stew  out  of  your  meat  instead  of  cooking  it  in  any  other  way. 

Boasting  Or  Baking. — The  first  is  the  most  extravagant  way  of 
cooking  meat,  as  it  wastes  nearly  one  third  of  its  substance  in  drip- 
pings and  steam ;  the  second  also  is  very  wasteful,  unless  the  meat  is 
surrounded  with  vegetables,  or  covered  with  a  flour  paste.  When  you 
do  bake  meat  without  a  covering  of  paste,  put  it  into  a  hot  oven  at  the 
start,  to  crisp  the  outside  and  to  keep  in  the  valuable  juices;  you  can 
moderate  the  heat  of  the  oven  as  soon  as  the  meat  is  brown,  and  let  it 
finish  cooking  slowly  by  the  heat  of  the  steam  which  is  constantly 
forming  inside  of  it.  It  generally  takes  twenty  minutes  to  bake  each 
pound  of  meat. 

O  Broiling. — This  is  another  extravagant  way  of  cooking  meat,  for  a 
great  deal  of  the  fat  runs  into  the  fire,  and  some  nourishment  escapes 
up  the  chimney  with  the  steam.  If  you  must  broil  meat,  have  your 
fire  hot  and  clear,  and  your  gridiron  perfectly  clean;  and,  unless  it  has 
a  ledge  to  hold  the  drippings,  tip  it  towards  the  back  of  the  fire,  so  that 
the  fat  will  burn  there,  and  not  blacken  the  meat  as  it  would  if  the 
gridiron  were  laid  flat,  and  the  fat  could  burn  under  the  meat.  Never 


stick  a  fork  into  broiled  meat  to  turn  it;  and  do  not  cut  it  to  see  if  it  is 
done;  for  if  you  do  either  you  will  let  out  the  juice.  Study  the  follow- 
ing table,  and  then  remember  how  near  the  time  given  in  it  comes  to 
cooking  according  to  your  taste.  Fish  will  broil  in  from  five  to  ten 
minutes;  birds  and  poultry  in  from  three  to  fifteen  minutes:  chops  in 
from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes,  and  steak  in  from  ten  to  twenty  minutes. 

Boiling  and  Stewing. — Boiling  food  slowly,  or  stewing  it  gently, 
saves  all  its  goodness.  After  the  pot  once  boils  you  cannot  make  its 
contents  cook  any  faster  if  you  have  fire  enough  under  it  to  run  a 
steam  engine;  so  save  your  fuel,  and  add  it  to  the  fire,  little  by  little, 
only  enough  at  a  time  to  keep  the  pot  boiling.  Remember,  if  you  boil 
meat  hard  and  fast  it  will  be  tough  and  tasteless,  and  most  of  its  goodness 
will  go  up  the  chimney,  or  out  of  the  window,  with  the  steam.  Boil 
the  meat  gently,  and  keep  it  covered  close  to  save  the  steam;  it  will 
condense  on  the  inside  of  the  cover,  and  fall  back  in  drops  of  moisture 
upon  the  meat. 

The  following  table  shows  how  much  is  wasted  in  the  different 
ways  of  cooking  we  have  just  spoken  of.  Four  pounds  of  beef  waste  in 
boiling  or  stewing,  about  one  pound  of  substance,  but  you  have  it  all 
in  the  broth  if  you  have  kept  the  pot  covered  tightly;  in  baking  one 
pound  and  a  quarter  is  almost  entirely  lost  unless  you  have  plenty  of 
vegetables  in  the  dripping  pan  to  absorb  and  preserve  it;  in  roasting 
before  the  fire  you  lose  nearly  one  pound  and  a  half.  Do  not  think  you 
save  the  waste  in  the  shape  of  drippings;  it  is  poor  economy  to  buy  fat 
at  the  price  of  meat  merely  for  the  pleasure  of  trying  it  out. 

Frying. — This  is  a  very  good  method  of  cooking  fish,  and  of 
warming  cold  meat  and  vegetables/  To  fry  well  put  into  your  fry- 
ing pan  enough  fat  to  cover  what  you  mean  to  fry,  and  let  it  get 
smoking  hot,  but  do  not  burn  it;  then  put  in  your  food,  and  it  will 
not  soak  fat,  and  will  generally  be  done  by  the  time  it  is  nicely 
browned.  To  SAUTE,  or  HALF  FRY  any  article,  you  should  begin  by 
putting  in  the  pan  enough  fat  to  cover  the  bottom,  and  let  it  get 
smoking  hot,  but  not  burnt  before  you  put  in  the  food.  This  also  is 
a  good  way  to  warm  over  meat,  vegetables,  oatmeal,  or  pudding. 

A  very  good  way  to  cook  meat  and  vegetables  together  is  to  put 
them  in  an  earthen  jar,  cover  it  tightly,  and  cement  the  cover  on  with 
flour  paste;  then  bake  for -about  four  hours. 

If  you  are  going  to  use  a  piece  of  meat  cold  do  not  cut  it  until  it 


18 

cools,  and  it  will  be  more  juicy.  If  the  meat  is  salt  let  it  cool  in  its 
own  pot  liquor,  for  the  same  reason. 

Salt  and  Smoked  Meats. — These  meats  are  best  when  they  are 
put  over  the  fire  in  cold  water,  brought  gradually  to  a  boil,  and  then 
set  back  from  the  fierce  heat  of  the  fire,  so  as  to  keep  scalding  hot 
WITHOUT  BOILING;  they  take  longer  to  cook  this  way,  but  they  are 
tender  and  delicious,  and  very  little  fat  is  wasted. 

Seasoning  Food. — Many  people  have  the  idea  that  a  finely  flavored 
dish  must  cost  a  great  deal;  that  is  a  mistake ;  if  you  have  untainted 
meat,  or  sound  vegetables,  or  even  Indian  meal,  to  begin  with,  you 
can  make  it  delicious  with  proper  seasoning.  One  reason  why  French 
cooking  is  so  much  nicer  than  any  other  is  that  it  is  seasoned  with  a 
great  variety  of  herbs  and  spices;  these  cost  very  little;  if  you  would 
buy  a  few  cents'  worth  at  a  time  you  would  soon  have  a  good 
assortment.  'The  best  kinds  are  Sage,  Thyme,  Sweet  Marjoram, 
Tarragon,  Mint,  Sweet  Basil,  Parsley,  Bay-leaves,  Cloves,  Mace, 
Celery-seed,  and  onions.  It  you  will  plant  the  seed  of  any  of  the 
seven  first  mentioned  in  little  boxes  on  your  window  sill,  or  in  a  sunny 
spot  in  the  yard,  you  can  generally  raise  all  you  need.  Gather  and 
dry  them  as  follows:  parsley  and  tarragon  should  be  dried  in  June 
and  July,  just  before  flowering;  mint  in  June  and  July;  thyme, 
marjoram  and  savory  in  July  and  August;  basil  and  sage  in  August 
and  September;  all  herbs  should  be  gathered  in  the  sun-shine,  and 
dried  by  artificial  heat:  their  flavor  is  best  preserved  by  keeping  them 
in  air-tight  tin  cans,  or  in  tightly  corked  glass  bottles. 

Dried  Celery  and  Parsley. — If  you.  ever  use  celery,  wash  the 
leaves,  stalks,  roots  and  trimmings,  and  put  them  in  a  cool  oven  to 
dry  thoroughly;  then  grate  the  root,  and  rub  the  leaves  and  stalks 
through  a  sieve,  and  put  all  into  a  tightly  corked  bottle,  or  tin  can 
with  close  cover;  this  makes  a  most  delicious  seasoning  for  soups, 
stews,  and  stuffing.  When  you  use  parsley,  save  every  bit  of  leaf, 
stalk  or  root  you  do  not  need,  and  treat  them  in  the  same  way  as  the 
celery.  Remember  in  using  parsley  that  the  root  has  even  a  stronger 
flavor  than  the  leaves,  and  do  not  waste  a  bit. 

Dried  HerTDS. — When  you  buy  a  bunch  of  dried  herbs  rub  the 
leaves  through  a  sieve,  and  bottle  them  tightly  until  you  need  them; 
tie  the  stalks  together  and  save  them  until  you  want  to  make  what  the 
French  call  a  bouquet,  for  a  soup  or  stew.  A  bouquet  of  herbs  is  made 


'9 

by  tying  together  a  few  sprigs  of  parsley/ thyme  and  two  bay-leaves. 
The  bay-leaves,  which  have  the  flavor  of  laurel,  can  be  bought  at  any 
German  grocery,  or  drug -store,  enough  to  last  for  a  long  time  for 
five  cents. 

Table  Sauce. — There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  sometimes 
have  a  nice  relish  for  cold  meat  when  you  can  make  a  pint  of  it  for 
six  cents,  so  I  will  give  you  a  receipt  for  it.  Get  at  Washington  market 
at  the  herb  stand,  a  bunch  of  TARRAGON;  it  will  cost  five  cents  in 
the  summer,  when  it  is  green  and  strong,  and  not  much  more  in  the 
winter;  put  it  in  an  earthen  bowl,  and  pour  on  it  one  pint  of  scalding 
hot  vinegar;  cover  it  and  let  it  stand  until  the  next  day;  then  strain 
it,  and  put  it  into  a  bottle  which  you  must  cork  tight.  Either  put 
more  hot  vinegar  on  the  tarragon,  or  dry  it,  and  save  it  until  you  want 
to  make  more;  you  can  make  a  gallon  of  sauce  from  one  bunch,  only 
every  time  you  use  it  you  must  let  it  stand  a  day  longer. 

Celery  Salt. — If  you  mix  celery  root,  which  has  been  dried  and 
grated  as  above,  with  one  fourth  its  quantity  of  salt,  it  makes  a  nice 
seasoning  and  keeps  a  long  time. 

Spice  Salt. — You  can  make  this  very  nicely  by  drying,  powdering 
and  mixing  by  repeated  siftings  the  following  ingredients:  one  quarter 
of  an  ounce  each  of  powdered  thyme,  bay-leaf,  and  pepper;  one 
eighth  of  an  ounce  each  of  marjoram  and  cayenne  pepper,  one  half 
of  an  ounce  each  of  powdered  clove  and  nutmeg;  to  every  four  ounces 
of  this  powder  add  one  ounce  of  salt,  and  keep  the  mixture  in  an  air- 
tight vessel.  One  ounce  of  it  added  to  three  pounds  of  stuffing,  or 
forcemeat  of  any  kind,  makes  a  delicious  seasoning. 

Lemon  and  Orange  Tincture-— Never  throw  away  lemon  or  orange 
peel;  cut  the  yellow  outside  off  carefully,  and  put  it  into  a  tightly 
corked  bottle  with  enough  alcohol  to  cover  it.  Let  it  stand  until  the 
alcohol  is  a  bright  yellow,  then  pour  it  off,  bottle  it  tight,  and  use  it 
for  flavoring  when  you  make  rice  pudding.  Add  lemon  and  alcohol  as 
often  as  you  have  it,  and  you  will  always  have  a  nice  flavoring. 

Vanilla  Tincture. — Make  this  from  a  broken  Vanilla  Bean,  just  as 
you  would  make  Lemon  Tincture.  When  you  make  a  plain  rice  pud- 
ding, and  when  you  boil  rice  with  sweetening,  put  a  teaspoonful  of 
either  of  these  tinctures  with  it,  and  it  will  be  very  good. 

Measuring. — Be  careful  about  measuring.  Do  not  think  you  can 
guess  just  right  every  time;  you  cannot  doit.  One  day  the  dinner- 


20 

will  be  a  great  deal  better  than  another,  and  you  will  wonder  why; 
it  will  be  because  it  is  carefully  seasoned  and  properly  cooked.  A 
good  rule  for  seasoning  soups  and  stews,  is  half  an  ounce,  or  a  level 
tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  half  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper  to  each 
quart  of  water;  try  it,  if  it  is  right  you  will  know  how  much  to  use;  if 
it  is  not  right,  alter  it  to  suit  your  taste;  but  settle  the  point  for 
once,  and  then  you  will  know  what  to  depend  upon.  The  following 
table  will  give  you  some  good  hints  about  measuring;  there  are  four 
teaspoonfuls  in  one  tablespoon; two  tablespoonfuls in  one  ounce;  two 
ounces  in  one  wineglassful;  two  wineglassfuls  in  one  gill;  two  gills  in 
one  good  sized  cupful;  two  cupfuls  in  one  pint;  two  pints  in  one  quart. 
One  quart  of  sifted  flour,  thrown  into  the  measure,  and  shaken  down, 
but  not  pressed,  weighs  one  pound;  one  quart  of  Indian  corn  meal, 
shaken  down  in  the  measure  weighs  one  pound  and  three  ounces;  one 
quart  of  fine  sugar  weighs  one  pound  and  a  half. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BEVERAGES. 

IN  my  little  book  on  "FIFTEEN  CENT  DINNERS,"  I  decidedly 
advocate  the  substitution  of  milk  or  milk  and  water  as  a  drink  at  meal 
times,  for  tea  and  coffee,  on  the  score  of  economy ;  because  milk  is  a 
food,  while  the  two  former  drinks  are  chiefly  stimulants.  They  are 
pleasant  because  they  warm  and  exhilarate,  but  they  are  luxuries 
because  they  give  no  strength;  therefore  their  use  is  extravagant  when 
we  are  pinched,  for  healthy  food.  It  is  true  that  when  we  drink  them 
we  do  not  feel  as  hungry  as  we  do  without  them.  The  sensation  of 
hunger  is  nature's  sure  sign  that  the  body  needs  a  new  supply  of  food 
because  the  last  has  been  exhausted;  the  change  of  the  nourishing 
qualities  of  food  into  strength  is  always  going  on  as  long  as  any  re- 
mains in  the  system;  the  use  of  tea,  coffee,  and  alcohol,  hinders  this 
change,  and  consequently  we  are  less  hungry  when  we  use  them  than 
when  we  do  without  them.^Tea  and  coffee  are  certainly  important 
aids  to  the  cheerfulness  and  comfort  of  home ;  and  when  the  first  stage 
of  economy,  where  every  penny  must  be  counted,  has  passed,  we  do 


21 

not  know  of  any  pleasanter  accessory  to  A  meal  than  a  cup  of  good 
tea  or  coffee. 

Tea. — The  physiological  action  of  very  strong  tea  is  marked;  mod- 
erately used  it  excites  the  action  of  the  skin,  lungs,  and  nervous  sys- 
tem, and  soothes  any  undue  action  of  the  heart;  used  to  excess,  it 
causes  indigestion,  nervousness,  and  wakefulness.  No  doubt  its  effects 
are  greatly  modified  by  climate,  for  the  Russians  drink  enormous 
quantities  of  very  strong,  fine  tea.  A  recent  war  report  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  its  use  in  the  army. 

"The  Russian  soldiers  are  said  to  live  and  fight  almost  wholly 
upon  tea.  The  Cossacks  often  carry  it  about  in  the  shape  of  bricks,  or 
rather  tiles,  which,  before  hardening,  are  soaked  in  sheep's  blood  and 
boiled  in  milk,  with  the  addition  of  flour,  butter  and  salt,  so  as  to  con- 
stitute a  kind  of  soup.  The  passion  of  the  Russian  for  this  beverage 
is  simply  astonishing.  In  the  depth  of  winter  he  will  empty  twenty 
cups  in  succession,  at  nearly  boiling  point,  until  he  perspires  at  every 
pore,  and  then,  in  a  state  of  excitement  rush  out,  roll  in  the  snow,  get 
up  and  go  on  to  the  next  similar  place  of  entertainment.  So  with  the 
army.  With  every  group  or  circle  of  tents  travels  the  invariable  tea 
kettle,  suspended  from  a  tripod ;  and  it  would  be  in  vain  to  think  of 
computing  how  man^f  times  each  soldier's  pannikin  is  filled  upon  a 
halt.  It  is  his  first  idea.  Frequently  he  carries  it  cold  in  a  copper 
case  as  a  solace  upon  the  march."  v. 

Dr.  Edward  Smith  sums  up  the  physiological  action  of  tea  as  fol- 
lows: 

"I — A  sense  o7  wakefulness. 

"2 — Clearness  of  mind,  and  activity  of  thought  and  imagination. 

"3 — Increased  disposition  to  make  muscular  exertion. 

"4 — Reaction,  with  a  sense  of  exhaustion  in  the  morning  following 
the  preceding  efforts,  and  in  proportion  to  them."  • 

Coffee. — The  action  of  coffee  is  so  similar  to  that  of  tea  that  we  need 
not  consider  it  separately;  it  will  be  sufficient  to  remark  that  the  chief 
points  of  difference  are  lessening  the  action  of  the  skin,  increasing  the 
action  of  the  heart,  and,  when  used  very  strong,  aiding  digestion1  to 
some  extent. 

Cocoa  and  Chocolate. — Both  these  articles  are  made  from  the  ker- 
nels of  a  tropical  fruit,  about  the  size  of  a  cucumber,  the  fleshy  part  of 
which  is  sometimes  used  to  produce  a  vinous  liquor;  they  are  produced 


22 

from  the  seeds  of  the  cocoa  palm,  and  from  a  kind  of  ground  nut. 
These  kernels  consist  of  gum,  starch,  and  vegetable  oil;  and  are  mar- 
keted as  cocoa  shells,  which  are  the  husks  of  the  kernel;  cocoa  nibs, 
which  consist  of  the  crushed  nuts;  and  ground  cocoa,  which  is  the  ker- 
nels ground  fine. 

Chocolate  is  the  finely  ground  powder  from  the  kernels,  mixed  to 
a  stiff  paste  with  sugar,  and,  sometimes,  a  little  starch.  It  is  very  nu- 
tritious; when  it  is  difficult  to  digest  remove  from  its  solution  the  oily 
cake  which  will  collect  upon  the  surface  as  it  cools.  It  is  so  nutritious 
that  a  small  cake  of  it,  weighing  about  two  ounces,  will  satisfy  hunger; 
for  that  reason  it  is  a  good  lunch  for  travellers. 

»  Both  cocoa  and  chocolate  are  very  nutritious,  and  are  free  from  the 
reactionary  influences  of  tea  and  coffee.  Let  us  count  the  cost  of  these 
beverages,  and  see  which  is  the  best  for  us.  * 

One  quart  of  weak  tea  can  be  made  from  three  teaspoonfuls,  or 
half  an  ounce,  of  tea,  (which  cost  at  least  one  cent;)  we  must  have  for 
general  use  a  gill  of  milk,  (at  one  cent,)  and  four  teaspoonfuls  or  one 
ounce  of  sugar,  (at  one  cent);  thus  if  we  use  only  the  above  quantities 
of  milk  and  sugar,  one  quart  of  tea  costs  three  cents;  if  we  increase 
them  it  will  cost  more. 

One  quart  of  weak  coffee  can  be  made  from  one  ounce,  or  two 
table  spoonfuls  of  coffee,  (at  a  cost  of  two  cents;)  two  tablespoonfuls  or 
ounces  of  sugar,  (two  cents,)  and  a  half  a  pint  of  milk,  (two  cents;)  the 
total  cost  six  cents. 

One  quart  of  cocoa  can  be  made  from  two  ounces,  or  eight  table- 
spoonfuls  of  cocoa  shells,  (which  cost  two  cents,)  with  half  a  pint  of 
milk,  and  an  ounce  of  sugar,  (at  four  cents  more;)  we  have  a  quart  of 
good,  nutritious  drink  at  six  cents.  It  is  all  the  better  if  the  shells  are 
boiled  gently  two  or  three  hours.  Of  course  the  nibs,  or  crushed 
cocoa,  and  chocolate,  will  both  produce  a  correspondingly  nutritious 
beverage. 

Beer. — Very  poor  families  sometimes  spend  every  day  for  beer 
enough  to  buy  them  a  good,  wholesome  meal,  because  they  think  it 
mafces  them  strong.  Beer,  like  all  other  liquors,  is  of  no  value  what- 
ever in  making  strength ;  it  only  nerves  you  up  to  spend  ?,ii  you  can 
muster  under  the  excitement  it  causes,  and  then  leave?,  you  weaker 
than  before.  What  you  need  when  you  crave  liquor  Is  a  good,  warm 
meal.  The  best  doctors  say  that  a  man  cannot  drii>.  more  than  about 


23 

a  pint  and  a  half  of  beer  a  day  without  injuring  his  health;  and  that 
healthy  people,  during  youth  and  middle  age,  do  not  need  it  at  all.  Let 
it,  and  all  other  liquors  alone  entirely,  and  you  will  be  better  off  in 
health  and  purse. 

Beer  for  Nursing  Women. — It  is  generally  believed  that  women 
who  drink  malt  liquor  are  able  to  nurse  children  to  greater  advantage 
than  those  who  do  not  use  it.  The  fact  is  that  while  the  quantity  of 
milk  may  be  increased,  its  nourishing  quality  will  be  impaired.  There 
may  be  more  milk  for  the  child,  but  it  will  be  poor.  The  effect  of 
all  malt  liquors  is  to  promote  the  secretion  of  the  fluids  of  the  body, 
but  not  to  enrich  them.  Do  not  drink  beer  for  the  sake  of  your  child, 
but  try  milk,  or  milk  and  water  instead,  and  see  if  after  a  fair  trial  you 
do  not  have  plenty  for  the  baby,  and  if  it  does  not  grow  strong  and  fat. 
If  milk  does  not  agree  with  you,  or  you  cannot  afford  it,  use  barley 
water;  it  will  not  only  give  you  plenty  of  milk,  but  it  will  nourish  you 
as  well  as  the  baby.  You  will  get  from  it  all  the  nourishment  that 
you  may  fancy  you  get  from  malt  liquor,  with  this  advantage:  in  the 
barley  water  you  will  get  all  the  nutriment  of  the  grain  unchanged, 
while  in  the  form  of  beer  the  fermentation  has  destroyed  part  of  it. 
The  following  is  a  good  receipt:  • 

Barley  Water, — Thoroughly  wash  two  ounces  of  pearl  barley, 
(which  costs  less  than  two  cents,)  to  remove  any  musty  or  bad  flavor, 
put  it  over  the  fire  in  two  quarts  of  cold  water,  and  boil  it  until  it  is 
reduced  to  one  quart;  then  strain  it,  cool  it,  and  drink  it  when- 
ever you  are  thirsty.  A  little  sugar  can  be  used  without  hurting  the 
baby. 

Milk. — I  have  already  said  that  milk  is  the  most  perfect  food;  we 
will  now  see  what  it  is  made  of,  and  how  it  nourishes  the  body;  and 
then  we  can  understand  how  necessary  it  is  to  have  it  pure.  The  ele- 
ments of  milk  which  strengthen  the  whole  body  are  the  solid  parts 
that  separate  in  the  form  of  curd  when  it  begins  to  turn  sour;  the  whey 
contains  the  salts  and  phosphates  which  strengthen  the  brain,  bones, 
and  digestive  organs;  the  cream  is  the  part  which  makes  us  fat.  When 
we  remember  that  cheese  is  made  from  the  curd  of  milk  we  can  see 
why  it  is  so  valuable  as  food,  and  why  a  meal  of  black  or  brown  bread 
and  cheese  will  satisfy  a  hungry  man. 

Try  to  afford  at  least  a  quart  of  good  milk  every  day.  It  can  be 
bought  in  New  York  now  for  seven  or  eight  cents  a  quart;  and  if  the 


24 

children  have  plenty  of  seconds  bread,  or  oatmeal  porridge,  and  a  cup 
of  milk,  at  meal  times,  they  will  be  strong  and  rosy. 

Skim-milk,  butter-milk,  and  whey,  are  all  excellent  foods,  and  far 
better  drinks  than  beer  or  whiskey.  Make  a  plain  pudding  now  and 
then,  with  skim-milk,  adding  an  ounce  of  suet  to  restore  its  richness. 
If  the  milk  has  turned  a  little  sour  add  lime  water  to  it,  in  the  propor- 
tion of  four  tablespoonfuls  of  the  lime  water  to  a  quart.  If  the  lime 
water  is  added  before  the  milk  begins  to  turn  it  will  help  keep  it  fresh. 
The  following  is  a  goad  receipt  for  making  lime  water: 

Lime  Water. — Slack  four  ounces  of  quick  lime  with  a  little  water, 
and  gradually  add  enough  water  to  make  a  gallon  in  all ;  let  it  stand 
three  hours,  then  bottle  it  in  glass-stoppered  bottles,  putting  a  portion 
of  the  undissolved  lime  in  each  bottle ;  when  you  want  to  use  some, 
pour  off  the  clear  fluid  from  the  top. 

Children  should  never  have  tea,  coffee,  or  liquor;  all  these  drinks 
hurt  them;  give  them  milk,  or  milk  and  water;  or  pure  water,  if  you 
cannot  afford  milk.  But  you  had  better  scant  their  clothes  than  their 
supply  of  milk.  If  you  have  to  limit  the  supply  of  food,  deny  them 
something  else,  but  give  them  plenty  of  bread  and  scalded  milk,  and 
you  can  keep  them  healthy. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

BREAD,  MACARONI,  AND  RICE. 

HOMEMADE-BREAD  is  healthier,  satisfies  hunger  better,  and  is 
cheaper  than  baker's  bread.  Make  bread  yourself  if  you  possibly  can. 
Use  "middlings"  if  you  can  possibly  get  them;  they  contain  the  best 
elements  of  wheat.  "  Household  Flour"  has  similar  qualities,  but  is 
sometimes  made  from  inferior  kinds  of  wheat.  Both  are  darker  and 
cheaper  than  fine  white  flour;  and  bread  made  from  them  takes 
longer  to  "rise"  than  that  made  from  fine  flour.  Bakers'  bread  is 
generally  made  from  poor  flour  mixed  with  a  little  of  the  better  sort; 
or  with  a  little  alum,  which  added  to  the  wheat  grown  in  wet  seasons, 
keeps  the  bread  From  be'mg  pasty  and  poor  in  taste. 

The  prices  of  bakers'  bread  upon  the  streets  in  the  eastern  and 


Z5 

western  parts  of  tlie  city  are  as  follows:  ordinary  white  bread,  five 
cent  loaf  weighs  three  quarters  of  a  pound:  six  cent  loaf  weighs  four- 
teen ounces:  eight  cent  loaf  weighs  one  pound  and  ten  ounces;  black 
bread,  two  eight  cent  loaves  weigh,  respectively,  one  pound  eight,  and 
one  pound  ten  ounces;  fine  French  bread,  eight  cent  loaf  weighs  three 
quarters  of  a  pound;  in  the  French  quarter  a  six  cent  loaf  weighs  one 
pound.  We  advise  the  purchase  of  new  flour  in  preference  to  old,  be- 
cause, unless  flour  is  cooled  and  dried  before  it  is  packed,  the  combin- 
ed action  of  heat  and  dampness  destroys  its  gluten,  and  turns  it  sour; 
gluten  is  the  nutritive  part  of  the  flour,  that  which  makes  it  absorb 
water,  and  yield  more  bread.  If  you  do  not  have  a~good  oven,  your 
bread  can  be  baked  at  the  baker's  for  about  a  cent  a  loaf.  When  bread 
is  made  too  light  it  is  tasteless,  and  lacks  nourishment,  because  the^de- 
cay  caused  in  the  elements  of  the  flour  used  to  make  it  by  the  great 
quantity  of  yeast  employed,  destroys  the  most  nutritious  parts  of  it. 
A  pint  of  milk  in  a  batch  of  four  loaves  of  bread  gives  you  a  pound 
more  bread  of  better  quality,  and  helps  to  make  it  moist.  Scalded 
skim  milk  will  go  as  far  as  fresh  whole  milk,  and  you  can  use  the 
cream  for  some  other  dish.  One  pound  of  pea-meal,  or  ground  split- 
peas,  added  to  every  fourteen  pounds  of  flour  used  for  bread  increases 
its  nourishment,  and  helps  to  satisfy  hunger. 

Keep  your  bread  in  a  covered  earthen  jar;  when  it  is  too  stale  to 
eat,  or  make  into  bread  broth,  dry  it  in  a  cool  oven,  or  over  the  top  of 
the  fire,  roll  it  with  a  rolling-pin,  sift  it  through  1a  sieve,  and  save  the 
finest  crumbs  to  roll  fish  or  chops  in  for  frying,  and  the  largest  for 
puddings.  If  a  whole  loaf  is  stale  put  it  into  a  tight  tin  can,  and  either 
steam  it,  or  put  it  into  a  moderately  warm  oven  for  half  an  hour;  it 
will  then  be  as  good  as  fresh  bread  to  the  taste,  and  a  great  deal  more 
healthy. 

A  good  allowance  of  bread  each  day  is  as  follows:  for  a  man  two 
pounds,  costing  six  cents;  for  boys  and  women  one  pound  and  a  half, 
costing  five  cents;  for  children  a  pound  each,  costing  three  cents. 

Homemade  Bread. — Put  seven  pounds  of  flour  into  a  deep  pan, 
and  make  a  hollow  in  the  centre;  into  this  put  one  quart  of  lukewarm 
water,  one  tablespoonful  of  salt,  one  teaspoonful  of  sugar,  and  half  a 
•gill  of  yeast;  have  ready  three  pints  more  of  warm  water,  and  use  as 
much  of  it  as  is  necessary  to  make  a  rather  soft  dough,  mixing  and 
kneading  it  well  with  both  hands.  When  it  is  smooth  and  shining 


26 

strew  a  little  flour  upon  it,  lay  a  large  towel  oveftt  folded,  and  set  it 
in  a  warm  place  by  the  fire  for  four  or  five  hours  to  rise;  then  knead  it 
again  for  fifteen  minutes,  cover  it  with  the  towel^  and  set  it  to  rise  once 
more;  then  divide  it  into  two  or  four  loaves,  and  bake  it  in  a  quick 
oven.  This  quantity  of  flour  will  make  eight  pounds  of  bread,  and 
will  require  one  hour's  baking  to  two  pounds  of  dough.  It  will  cost 
about  thirty  cents,  and  will  last  about  two  days  and  a  half  for  a  family 
of  six.  In  cold  weather,  the  dough  should  be  mixed  in  a  warm  room, 
and  not  allowed  to  cool  while  rising;  if  it  does  not  rise  well,  set  the 
pan  containing  it  over  a  large  vessel  of  boiling  water;  it  is  best  to  mix 
the  bread  at  night,  and  let  it  rise  till  morning,  in  a  warm  and  even 
temperature. 

Rice  Bread. — Simmer  one  pound  of  rice  in  three  quarts  of  water 
until  the  rice  is  soft,  and  the  water  evaporated  or  absorbed;  let  it  cool 
until  it  is  only  luke- warm;  mix  into  it  nearly  four  pounds  of  flour, 
two  teaspoonfuls  of  salt,  and  four  tablespoonfuls  of  yeast;  knead  it 
until  it  is  smooth  and  shining,  let  it  rise  before  the  fire,  make  it  up  into 
loaves  with  the  little  flour  reserved  from  the  four  pounds,  and  bake  it 
thoroughly.  It  will  cost  about  twenty-five  cents,  and  make  more  than 
eight  pounds  of  excellent  bread. 

Potato  Bread. — Take  good,  mealy  boiled  potatoes,  in  the  propor- 
tion of  one-third  of  the  quantity  of  flour  you  propose  to  use,  pass  them 
through  a  coarse  sieve  into  the  flour,  using  a  wooden  spoon  and  adding 
enough  cold  water  toienable  you  to  pass  them  through  readily;  use 
the  proper  quantity  of  yeast,  salt,  and  water,  and  make  up  the  bread 
in  the  usual  way.  It  will  cost  about  twenty-four  cents  if  you  use  the 
above  quantities,  and  give  you  eight  pounds  or  more  of  good  bread. 

Pulled  Bread. — Take  from  the  oven  an  ordinary  loaf  of  bread 
when  it  is  about  half  baked,  and  with  the  fingers,  while  it  is  yet  hot, 
pull  it  apart  in  egg-sized  pieces  of  irregular  shape;  throw  them  upon 
tins,  and  bake  them  in  a  slow  oven  to  a  rich  brown  color.  This  bread 
is  excellent  to  eat  with  cheese  or  wine.  An  ordinary  sized  loaf,  costing 
about  three  cents  makes  a  large  panful. 

Bread  made  With.  Baking  Powder. — Where  bread  is  made  with 
baking  powder  the  following  rules  should  be  closely  observed:  if  any 
shortening  be  used,  it  should  be  rubbed  into  the  flour  before  it  is  wet;. 
cold  water  or  sweet  milk  should  always  be  used  to  wet  it,  and  the  dough 
should  be  kneaded  immediately,  and  only  long  enough  to  thoroughly 


27 

mix  it  and  form  it  in*the  desired  shape;  it  should  then  be  placed  in  a 
well -heated  oven  and  baked  guickly — otherwise  the  carbonic  acid  gas 
will  escape  before  the  expanded  cells  are  fixed  in  the  bread,  and  thus 
the  lightness  of  the  loaf  will  be  impaired. 

Breakfast  Rolls. — Mi*  well  by  sifting  together  half  a  pound  of  flour, 
(cost  two  cents,)  a  heaping  teaspoonful  of  baking  powder,  a  level  tea- 
spoonful  of  salt,  and  a  heaping  teaspoonful  of  sugar,  (cost  one  cent;) 
rub  into  a  little  of  the  above  one  ounce  of  lard,  (cost  one  cent,)  mix  it 
with  the  rest  of  the  flour,  and  quickly  wet  it  up  with  enough  cold  milk 
to  enable  you  to  roll  it  out  about  half  an  inch  thick,  (cost  two  cents;) 
cut  out  the  dough  with  a  tin  shape  or  with  a  sharp  knife,  in  the  form 
of  diamonds,  lightly  wet  the  top  with  water,  and  double  them  half 
over.  Put  them  upon  a  tin,  buttered  and  warmed,  and  bake  them  in  a 
hot  oven.  This  receipt  will  cost  about  six  cents,  and  will  make  about 
nine  good  sized  rolls. 

Tea  BlSCUit. — Mix  as  above,  using  the  same  proportions,  and  cutting 
out  with  a  biscuit-cutter;  when  they  are  baked,  wash  them  over  with 
cold  milk,  and  return  them  to  the  oven  for  a  moment  to  dry.  The  cost 
is  the  same. 

Macaroni. — This  is  a  paste  made  from  the  purest  wheat  flour  and 
water;  it  is  generally  known  as  a  rather  luxurious  dish  among  the 
wealthy;  but  it  should  become  one  of  the  chief  foods  of  the  people,  for 
it  contains  more  gluten,  or  the  nutritious  portion  of  wheat,  than  bread. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  wholesome  and  economical  of  foods,  and  can  be 
varied  so  as  to  give  a  succession  of  palatable  dishes  at  a  very  small 
cost.  The  imported  macaroni  can  be  bought  at  Italian  stores  for  about 
fifteen  cents  a  pound;  and  that  quantity  when  boiled  yields  nearly  four 
times  its  bulk,  if  it  has  been  manufactured  for  any  length  of  time. 
Good  macaroni  is  yellow  or  brownish  in  color;  white  sorts  are  always 
poor.  It  should  never  be  soaked  or  washed  before  boiling,  or  put  into 
cold  or  lukewarm  water;  wipe  it  carefully,  break  it  in  whatever  lengths 
you  want  it,  and  put  it  into  boiling  water,  to  every  quart  of  which  half 
a  tablespoonful  of  salt  is  added ;  you  can  boil  an  onion  with  it  if  you  like 
the  flavor;  as  soon  as  it  is  tender  enough  to  yield  easily  when  pressed 
between  the  fingers,  drain  it  in  a  colander,  saving  its  liquor  for  the  next 
day's  broth,  and  lay  it  in  cold  water  until  you  want  to  use  it.£,  When 
more  macaroni  has  been  boiled  than  is  used  it  can  be  kept  perfectly 
good  by  laying  it  in  fresh  water,  which  must  be  changed  every  day. 


28 

After  boiling  the  macaroni  as  above,  you  can  use^t  according  to  any 
of  the  following  directions.  Half  a  pound  of  uncooked  macaroni  will 
make  a  large  dishful. 

Macaroni,  Farmers5  Style. — Boil  half  a  pound  of  macaroni  as  above, 
and  while  you  are  draining  it  from  the  cold  water,  stir  together  over 
the  fire  one  ounce  each  of  butter  and  flour,  and  as  soon  as  they  bubble 
gradually  pour  into  the  sauce  they  make,  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  beat- 
ing it  with  a  fork  or  egg  whip  until  it  is  smooth;  season  it  with  a  level 
teaspoonful  of  salt  and  a  level  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  and  put  the  mac- 
aroni in  it  to  heat;  then  cut  an  onion  in  small  shreds,  and  brown  it  over 
the  fire  in  a  very  little  fat;  when  both  are  done  dish  the  macaroni,  and 
pour  the  onion  out  of  the  frying  pan  upon  it.  It  is  excellent ;  and  ten 
cents  will  cover  the  cost  of  all  of  it. 

Macaroni  With  Broth. — Put  half  a  pound  of  macaroni,  boiled  as 
above  and  washed  in  cold  water,  over  the  fire  with  any  kind  of  broth,  or 
one  pint  of  cold  gravy  and  water ;  season  it  to  taste  with  pepper  and  salt, 
and  let  it  heat  slowly  for  an  hour,  or  less  if  you  are  in  a  hurry;  then 
lay  it  on  a  flat  dish,  strew  over  it  a  few  bread  crumbs,  which  you  will 
almost  always  have  on  hand  if  you  save  all  the  bits  I  speak  of  in  the 
article  on  BREAD;  then  set  the  dish  in  the  oven,  or  in  front  of  the  fire 
to  brown.  It  will  cost  less  than  ten  cents,  and  be  delicious  and  very 
hearty. 

Macaroni  With  White  Sauce. — Warm  half  a  pound  of  macaroni,  boil- 
ed  and  washed  in  cold  water,  as  above,  in  the  following  sauce,  and  use  it 
as  soon  as  it  is  hot.  Stir  together  over  the  fire  one  ounce  each  of  butter 
and  flour,  pouring  in  one  pint  of  boiling  water  and  milk,  as  soon  as  the 
butter  and  flour  are  mixed;  season  it  with  salt  and  pepper  to  taste,  and 
put  the  macaroni  into  it.  This  dish  costs  less  than  ten  cents,  and  is 
very  good  and  wholesome. 

Macaroni  With  Cheese. — Soil  half  a  pound  of  macaroni,  as  above, 
put  into  a  pudding  dish  in  layers  with  quarter  of  a  pound  of  cheese, 
(cost  four  cents,)  grated  and  mixed  between  the  layers;  season  it  with 
pepper  and  salt  to  taste;  put  a  very  little  butter  and  some  bread  crumbs 
over  it,  and  brown  it  in  the  oven.  It  will  make  just  as  hearty  and 
strengthening  a  meal  as  meat,  and  will  cost  about  twelve  cents. 

Macaroni  Milanaise  Style. — Have  ready  some  sauce,  made  accord- 
ing to  the  receipt  for  Tomato  Sauce  given  below,  or  use  some  fresh 
tomatoes  passed  through  a  sieve  with  a  wooden  spoon,  and  highly  sea- 


soned,  and  two  ou»ces  of  grated  cheese;  put  half  a  pound  of  imported 
Italian  macaroni,  (cost  eight  cents,)  in  three  quarts  of  boiling  water, 
with  two  tablespoonfuls  of*salt,  one  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  and  a 
teaspoonful  of  butter,  (cost  one  cent;)  boil  rapidly  for  about  twenty 
minutes,  then  drain  it  in  a  colander,  run  plenty  of  cold  water  from  the 
faucet  through  it,  and  lay  it  in  a  pan  of  cold  water  until  you  are  ready 
to  use  it.  Put  into  a  sauce-pan  one  gill  of  tomato  sauce,  (cost  two 
cents,)  one  ounce  of  butter,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  one  gill  of  any  meat 
gravy  free  from  fat,  and  stir  .until  they  are  smoothly  blended:  put  a 
half  inch  layer  of  macaroni  on  the  bottom  of  a  dish,  moisten  it  with 
four  tablespoonfuls  of  the  sauce,  sprinkle  over  it  half  an  ounce  of  the 
grated  cheese;  make  three  other  layers  like  this,  using  all  the  macaro- 
ni, cheese,  and  sauce,  and  brown  the  macaroni  in  a  hot  oven  for  about 
five  minutes;  serve  it  hot.  It  will  cost  about  thirteen  cents. 

Macaroni  With  Tomato  Sauce. — Boil  half  a  pound  of  macaroni  as 
already  directed,  and  lay  it  in  cold  water.  Make  a  tomato  sauce  as 
follows,  and  dress  the  macaroni  with  it,  using  only  enough  to  moisten 
it,  and  sprinkling  the  top  with  an  ounce  of  grated  cheese,  (cost  one 
cent;)  serve  it  ho? 

Tomato  Sauce. — Boil  together  for  one  hour  quarter  of  a  can  of  to- 
matoes, or  six  large  fresh  ones,  (cost  five  cents,)  one  gill  of  broth  of  any 
kind,  one  sprig  of  thyme,  one  sprig  of  parsley,  three  whole  cloves, 
three  peppercorns,  and  half  an  ounce  of  onion  sliced;  (cost  two  cents;) 
rub  them  through  a  sieve  with  a  wooden  spoon,  and  set  the  sauce  to 
keep  hot;  mix  together  over  the  fire  one  ounce  of  butter,  and  half  an 
ounce  of  flour,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  when  smooth  incorporate  with  the 
tomato  sauce.  The  cost  of  the  tomato  sauce  will  be  about  ten  cents, 
and  of  the  entire  dish  about  eighteen  cents.  If  you  do  not  wish  to  use 
all  the  tomato  sauce,  and  you  do  not  need  to,  save  it  to  use  with  fried 
chops  of  any  kind. 

Rice. — R*ce  is  largely  composed  of  starch,  and  for  that  reason  is 
less  nutritious  than  flour,  oatmeal,  Indian  meal,  or  macaroni;  but  it  is 
a  wholesome  and  economical  food  when  used  with  a  little  meat  broth, 
drippings,  or  molasses.  It  is  a  very  safe  food  for  children,  especially 
if  used  with  a  little  molasses.  The  following  is  an  excellent  supper 
disk. 


30 

Panada. — Boil  lialf  a  pound  of  rice,  (whi£h  costs  five  cents,) 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  suet,  (at  two  cents,)  with  one  tablespoonfifl  of 
salt,  and  one  of  sugar,  (cost  one  cent,)  fast  in  boiling  water  for  fifteen 
minutes;  meantime  mix  half  a  pound  of  flour,  (cost  two  cents,) 
gradually  with  one  quart  of  water,  and  one  gill  of  molasses,  (cost  two 
cents;)  stir  this  into  the  boiling  rice,  and  boil  it  for  about  five 
minutes;  this  makes  a  nice  supper  of  over  five  pounds  of  good,  nutri- 
tious food  for  twelve  cents. 

Boiled  Bice. — Another  good  dish  of  t ice  for  supper  can  be  made  as 
follows.  Wash  half  a  pound  of  rice  (cost  five  cents,)  throw  it  into  one 
quart  of  boiling  water,  containing  two  teaspoonfuls  of  salt,  and  boil  it 
fast  ten  minutes;  drain  it  in  a  colander,  saving  the  water  to  use  with 
broth  next  day;  meantime  just  grease  the  pot  with  sweet  drippings, 
put  the  rice  back  in  it,  cover  it,  and  set  it  on  a  brick  on  the  top  of  the 
stove,  or  in  a  cool  oven,  and  let  it  stand  ten  minutes  to  swell;  be 
careful  not  to  burn  it.  The  addition  of  a  very  little  butter,  sugar, 
molasses,  nutmeg,  lemon  juice,  or  salt  and  pepper,  will  give  it 
different  flavors;  so  that  you  can  vary  the  taste,  j|nd  have  it  often 
without  getting  tired  of  it,  and  it  need  never  cost  you  over  seven  cents, 

ElCe,  Mllanaise  Style. — Fry  one  ounce  of  butter,  (cost  two  cents,) 
light  brown;  put  into  it  half  a  pound  of  rice,  (cost  five  cents,)  well 
picked  over,  but  not  washed,  and  one  ounce  of  onion,  chopped  fine ;  stir 
and  brown  for  about  five  minutes,  then  add  a  pint  of  gravy  from  meat, 
season  with  a  level  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  that  quantity*of  pepper, 
and  as  much  cayenne  as  you  can  take  on  the  point  of  a  very  small  pen- 
knife blade;  the  onion  and  seasoning  will  cost  less  than  two  cents; 
stew  gently  for  fifteen  minutes,  stirring  occasionally  to  prevent  burning, 
and  serve  as  soon  as  the  rice  is  tender.  This  makes  a  palatable  dish 
for  about  ten  cents. 

Hies,  Japanese  Style. — Put  half  a  pound  of  well  washed  rice  into 
a  double  kettle,  with  one  pint  of  milk  or  water,  one  heaping  teaspoon- 
ful of  salt,  and  quarter  of  a  medium  sized  nutmeg  grated;  boil  it  until 
tender,  about  forty  minutes;  if  it  seems  very  dry  add  a  little  more 
liquid,  taking  care  not  to  have  it  sloppy  when  it  is  cooked.  When 
milk  is  used  it  may  be  served  with  milk  and  sugar  as  a  breakfast  or 
tea  dish;  when  water  takes  the  place  of  milk,  the  addition  of  an  ounce 
of  butter,  and  half  a  saltspoonful  of"  pepper  makes  a  nice  dinner  dish 
of  it. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SOUP. 

THE  value  of  soup  as  food  cannot  be  overestimated. 

In  times  of  scarcity  and  distress,  when  the  question  has  arisen  of 
how  to  feed  the  largest  number  of  persons  upon  the  least  quantity  of 
food,  the  aliment  chosen  has  always  been  soup.  There  are  two  reasons 
for  this:  first,  by  the  addition  of  water  to  the  ingredients  used  we  secure 
the  aid  of  this  important  agent  in  distributing  nutrition  equally  through- 
out the  blood,  to  await  final  absorption;  and,  second,  we  gain  that 
sense  of  repletion  so  necessary  to  the  satisfaction  of  hunger— the  fact 
being  acknowledged  that  the  sensation  we  call  hunger  is  often  allayed 
by  the  presence  of  even  innutritious  substances  in  the  stomach. 

Good  soup  is  literally  the  juice  of  any  ingredient  from  which  it  is 
made — the  extract  of  the  meat,  grains,  or  vegetables  composing  it. 
The  most  economical  of  soups,  eaten  with  bread,  will  satisfy  the  hun- 
ger of  the  hardest  worker.  The  absolute  nutritive  value  of  soup  de- 
pends, of  course,  upon  its  ingredients;  and  these  can  easily  be  chosen 
in  referenceto  the  maintenance  of  health.  For  instance,  the  pot-liquor 
in  which  meat  has  been  boiled  needs  only  the  addition  of  a  few  dump- 
lings or  cereals,  and  seasoning,  to  form  a  perfect  nutriment.  That  pro- 
duced from  skin  and  bones  can  be  made  equally  palatable  and  nutri- 
tious by  boiling  with  it  a  few  vegetables  and  sweet  herbs,  and  some 
rice,  barley,  or  oatmeal.  Even  the  gelatinous  residue  produced  by 
long-continued  boiling,  without  the  presence  of  any  foreign  matter, 
is  a  useful  emollient  application  to  the  inflamed  mucous  surfaces  in  some 
diseases,  while  it  aftords  at  the  same  time  the  degree  of  distention 
necessary  to  prevent  flatulency. 

The  time  required  to  make  the  most  palatable  and  nutritious  soup 
is  short.  Lean  meat  should  be  chopped  fine,  placed  in  cold  water,  in 
the  proportion  of  a  pint  to  each  pound,  slowly  heated,  and  thoroughly 
skimmed.  Five  minutes'  boiling  will  extract  from  the  meat  every  par- 
ticle of  its  nutriment  and  flavor.  The  liquor  can  then  be  strained  off, 


32 

seasoned,  and  eaten  with  bread,  biscuit,  or  vegetables.  Peas  or  beans 
boiled  and  added  to  the  soup  make  it  the  most  perfect  food  for  sustain- 
ing health  and  strength.  It  is  the  pure  juice  of  the  meat  and  contains 
all  its  savory  and  life-giving  principles. 

If  your  family  is  large,  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  keep  a  clean 
saucepan,  or  pot  on  the  back  of  the  stove  to  receive  all  the  clean  scraps 
of  meat,  bones,  and  remains  of  poultry  and  game,  which  are  found  in 
every  kitchen ;  but  vegetables  should  not  be  put  into  it,  as  they  are  apt 
to  sour.  The  proper  proportions  for  soup  are  one  pound  of  meat  and 
bone  to  one  and  a  half  quarts  of  cold  water;  the  meat  and  bones  to  be 
well  chopped  and  broken  up,  and  put  over  the  fire  in  cold  water,  being 
brought  slowly  to  a  boil,  and  carefully  skimmed  as  often  as  any  scum 
rises;  and  being  maintained  at  a  steady  boiling  point  from  two  to  six 
hours,  as  time  permits;  one  hour  before  the  stock  is  done,  add  to  it  one 
carrot  and  one  turnip  pared,  one  onion  stuck  with  three  cloves,  and  a 
bouquet  of  sweet  herbs. 

When  soup  is  to  be  boiled  six  hours  you  must  allow  two  quarts  of 
water  to  every  pound  of  meat,  and  you  must  see  that  the'pot  boils  slow- 
ly and  regularly,  and  is  well  skimmed.  When  you  want  to  keep  soup 
from  one  meal  to  another,  or  over  night,  you  must  pour  it  into  an 
earthen  pot,  or  bowl,  because  it  will  turn  by  being  allowed  to  remain 
in  the  metal  pot. 

I  shall  give  you  first  some  receipts  for  making  soups  without  meat, 
and  then  some  of  the  cheapest  meat  soups  I  have  tried.  The  first  is  very 
cheap  and  nutritious,  and  should  be  served  at  meals  where  no  meat  is 
to  be  used;  bread,  and  a  cheap  pudding,  will  be  sufficient  to  use  with 
it. 

Scotch  Broth  Without  Meat. — Steep  four  ounces  of  pearl  barley, 
(cost  three  cents,)  over  night  in  cold  water,  and  wash  it  well  in  fresh 
water;  cut  in  dice  half  an  inch  square,  six  ounces  of  yellow  turnip, 
six  ounces  of  carrot,  four  ounces  of  onion,  two  ounces  of  celery,  (or  use 
in  its  place  quarter  of  a  saltspoonful  of  celery  seed,  (cost  of  all  about 
one  cent,)  put  all  these  into  two  and  a  half  quarts  of  boiling  water, 
season  with  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper, 
and  as  much  cayenne  as  you  can  take  up  on  the  point  of  a  very  small 
pen-knife  blade,  (cost  one  cent;)  boil  slowly  for  two  hours;  then  stir  in 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  oatmeal,  (cost  two  cents,)  mixed  to  a  smooth 
batter  with  cold  water,  see  if  seasoning  be  correct,  add  two  or  three 


33 

grates  of  nutmeg,  and  boil  half  an  hour.  Meantime,  cut  two  slices  of 
bread,  (cost  one  cent,)  in  half  inch  dice,  fry  light  brown  in  hot  fat,  (cost 
two  cents,)  and  lay  the  bits  in  the  soup  tureen;  when  the  soup  is 
ready  pour  it  over  them,  and  serve.  This  soup,  which  costs  only  about 
ten  cents,  is  palatable  as  well  as  economical. 

Pea  Soup- — Use  half  a  pint,  or  seven  ounces  of  dried  peas,  (cost 
three  cents,)  for  'every  two  quarts  of  soup  you  want.  Put  them  in  three 
quarts  of  cold  water,  after  washing  them  well;  bring  them  slowly  to  a 
boil;  add  a  bone,  or  bit  of  ham,  if  you  have  it  to  spare,  one  turnip, 
and  one  carrot  peeled,  one  onion  stuck  with  three  cloves,  (cost  three 
cents,)  and  simmer  three  hours,  stirring  occasionally  to  prevent  burn- 
ing; then  pass  the  soup  through  a  sieve  with  the  aid  of  a  potato-masher, 
and  it  it  shows  any  sign  of  settling  stir  into  it  one  tablespoonful 
each  of  butter  and  flour  mixed  together  dry,  (cost  two  cents;)  this  will 
prevent  settling;  meantime  fry  some  dice  of  stale  bread,  about  two  slices, 
cut  half  an  inch  square,  in  hot  fat,  drain  them  on  a  sieve,  and  put  them 
in  the  bottom  of  the  soup  tureen  in  which  the  pea  soup  is  served ;  or  cut 
some  bits  of  very  hard  stale  bread,  or  dry  toast,  to  use  instead  of  the 
fried  bread.  By  the  time  the  soup  is  done  it  will  have  boiled  down  to 
two  quarts,  and  will  be  very  thick  and  good.  This  receipt  will  cost  you 
about  ten  cents. 

Thick  Pea  Soup, — Fry  one  sliced  onion,  (cost  half  a  cent,)  in  one 
ounce  of  suet  or  drippings,  (cost  half  a  cent,)  using  an  iron  pot  to  fry 
it  in;  as  soon  as  it  is  brown,  put  into  the  same  pot,  three  quarts  of  cold 
water,  one  pint,  or  fourteen  ounces  of  well  washed  peas,  (cost  five 
cents,)  and  boil  as  above;  this  quantity  of  peas  does  not  need  any 
crusts  in  the  soup;  it  will  be  thick  enough;  but  bread  may  be  eaten 
with  it,  if  you  want  it.  This  soup  costs  six  cents. 

Bean  Soup. — For  this,  use  the  receipt  for  pea  soup,  using  beans  in- 
stead  of  peas;  the  cost  will  be  about  the  same. 

Lentil  Soup. — For  two  quarts  of  soup  half  a  pint  of  yellow  lentils, 
(cost  five  cents,)  washed,  and  put  to  boil  in  three  pints  of  cold  water, 
with  one  cents'  worth  of  soup  greens,  and  boiled  gently  until  the  lentil? 
are  soft  enough  to  break  between  the  fingers;  every  half  hour  a  gill  of 
cold  water  should  be  added,  and  the  lentils  again  raised  to  a  boiling 
point,  until  they  are  done;  they  should  then  be  passed  through  a  sieve 
with  a  wooden  spoon,  using  enough  of  the  liquor  to  make  them  pass 
easy,  and  mixed  with  the  rest  of  the  soup;  it  should  be  seasoned  with 


34 

salt  and  pepper,  and  is  then  ready  to  simmer  for  half  an  hour,  and 
serve  hot,  with  dice  of  fried  bread  half  an  inch  square,  like  those  used 
for  pea  soup,  or  with  bits  of  stale  bread.  A  plentiful  dinner  of  lentil 
soup  and  bread  costs  only  about  ten  cents. 

Onion  Soup. — Chop  half  a  quart  of  onions,  (cost  three  cents,)  fry 
them  brown,  in  a  large  saucepan,  with  two  ounces  of  drippings,  stir- 
ring until  they  are  well  browned,  but  not  burned;  then  stir  in  half  a 
pound,  or  a  little  less,  of  oatmeal,  (cost  three  cents,)  add  three  quarts 
of  water,  and  season  to  taste  with  pepper  and  salt ;  (the  drippings  and 
seasoning  cost  one  cent;)  while  the  soup  is  boiling,  which  must  be  for 
about  twenty  minutes,  with  occasional  stirring,  toast  a  third  of  a  six 
cent  loaf  of  bread,  cut  it  in  half  inch  bits,  lay  it  in  the  soup  tureen;  and 
when  the  soup  is  ready  pour  it  on  the  toast.  The  soup  will  cost  about 
ten  cents,  and  is  extremely  nourishing. 

Spinach  Soup. — Put  °ne  quart  of  spinach,  (cost  five  cents,)  to 
boil  in  a  large  pot,  full  of  boiling  water,  well  salted  with  two  table- 
spoonfuls  of  salt;  cover  until  it  boils  up  once ;  then  remove  the  cover, 
and  with  a  wooden  spoon  press  the  spinach  under  water  as  fast  as  it 
rises  to  the  surface;  boil  it  steadily  only  until  it  is  tender;  then  drain 
it;  run  plenty  of  cold  water  from  the  faucet  over  it,  while  it  is  still  in 
the  colander;  drain  it  again,  chop  it  fine,  and  pass  it  through  a  kitchen 
sieve  with  the  aid  of  a  wooden  spoon ;  boil  one  quart  of  milk,  (cost 
eight  cents,)  and  one  quart  of  water;  add  the  spinach  to  it,  thicken  it 
by  stirring  in  two  tablespoonfuls  of  corn  starch  dissolved  in  cold  milk; 
season  it  with  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  saltspoonful  of  white 
pepper,  and  the  same  of  nutmeg;  (cost  of  seasoning  one  cent,)  and 
serve  it  as  soon  as  it  boils  up.  It  costs  only  fifteen  cents,  and  is  deli- 
cious. 

Soup  can  be  made  from  any  green  vegetable  or  herb  in  the  same 
way. 

Vogstablo  Soup. — The  following  is  the  receipt  given  by  the  cele- 
brated FRANCATELLI  for  a  cheap  vegetable  soup :  Put  six  quarts  of 
water  to  boil  in  a  large  pot  with  quarter  of  a  pound  of  suet,  or  two 
ounces  of  drippings,  (cost  about  two  cents,)  season  it  with  a  level  table- 
spoonful  of  salt,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  and  a  few  sprigs  of  pars- 
ley and  dried  herbs,  (cost  of  seasoning  one  cent;)  while  it  is  boiling 
prepare  about  ten  cents'  worth  of  cabbage,  turnips,  beans,  or  any  cheap 
vegetables  in  season;  throw  them  into  the  boiling  soup,  and  when  they 


35 

have  boiled  up  thoroughly,  set  the  pot  at  the  side  of  the  fire,  where  it 
will  simmer,  for  about  two  hours.  Then  take  up  some  of  the  vegeta- 
bles without  breaking,  and  use  them  with  any  gravy  you  may  have  on 
hand,  or  with  quarter  of  a  pound  of  bacon,  (cost  four  cents,)  sliced  and 
fried,  for  the  bulk  of  the  meal;  the  soup  after  being  seasoned  to  taste 
can  be  eaten  with  bread,  at  the  beginning  of  the  meal,  the  whole  of 
which  can  be  provided  for  about  twenty  cents. 

Vegetable  Porridge. — Pare  and  slice  thin  ten  cents'  worth  of  car- 
rots, turnips,  onions,  and  parsnips,  and  put  them  into  three  quarts  of 
water,  with  a  few  sprigs  of  parsley  and  dried  herbs;  season  them  with 
half  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper, 
and  let  them  boil  till  very  soft,  two  hours  or  more;  then  rub  them  all 
through  a  colander,  return  the  porridge  to  the  pot,  and  set  it  over  the 
fire  to  heat,  stirring  it  to  prevent  burning.  Use  it  with  bread ;  it  will 
cost  about  fifteen  cents  for  enough  for  a  hearty  meat. 

Rice  Milk. — Put  half  a  pound  of  well-washed  rice  into  two  quarts 
of  boiling  water,  with  two  ounces  of  sweet  drippings,  a  teaspoonful  of 
salt,  and  a  bit  of  cinnamon,  or  lemon  peel,  and  let  all  boil  gently  about 
an  hour;  then  add  one  quart  of  milk,  and  stir  the  rice  for  about  ten 
minutes.  A  little  sugar  or  molasses  may  be  added  if  you  want  it  sweet. 
It  makes  an  excellent  breakfast  or  supper  dish,  and  costs  about  fifteen 
cents. 

Fish  Soup. — Make  this  soup  from  any  rich,  glutinous  fish,  such  aa 
cod's  head,  halibut  neck,  flounders,  skate,  or  any  cheap  fish  whkh  is  in 
season,  and  which  you  can  buy  for  five  or  six  cents  a  pound.  Chop 
one  or  two  onions,  fry  them  in  a  pot  with  two  ounces  of  drippings,  till 
light  brown;  season  with  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  half  a  teaspoon- 
ful of  pepper,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  sweet  herbs  of  any  kind,  then  add 
two  quarts  of  hot  water,  and  let  all  boil  for  ten  minutes;  meantime  mix 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  oatmeal  with  one  pint  of  cold  water,  and  wash 
and  cut  in  two-inch  pieces  about  two  pounds  of  fislv;  when  the  soup 
has  boiled  ten  minutes,  put  the  fish  into  it,  and  carefully  stir  in  the  oat- 
meal; let  it  boil  twenty  minutes,  sdrring  occasionally  to  prevent  burn- 
ing; it  will  then  be  ready  to  use.  The  seasoning-,  drippings,  and 
oatmeal,  will  cost  about  five  cents,  and  the  fish  ten  more;  with  the 
addition  of  bread  and  potatoes,  say  five  cents'  worth  of  either,  it  makes 
an  excellent  meal,  costing  about  twenty  cents. 

Fish  ^Chowder. — Fry  together  in  the  bottom  of  a  saucepan  four 


36 

ounces  of  salt  pork  and  two  onions  sliced;  when  brov/n  season  with  a 
teaspoonful  of  sweet  herbs,  and  a  very  little  salt  and  pepper;  meantime 
peel  and  slice  half  a  dozen  medium-sized  potatoes,  and  lay  them  in 
cold  water;  and  cut  in  small  slices  two  pounds  of  any  fish  which  costs 
about  five  cents  per  pound;  when  the  onions  and  pork  are  brown,  put 
the  potatoes  and  fish  upon  them  in  layers,  seasoning  with  a  level  table  - 
spoonful  of  salt,  and  half  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper;  pour  over  all  cold 
water  enough  to  cover  the  ingredients,  and  let  them  cook  twenty  min- 
utes after  they  begin  to  boil;  soak  half  a  pound  of  sea-biscuit  in  cold 
water,  and  when  the  chowder  is  nearly  done  lay  them  on  it,  and  pour 
over  them  half  a  pint  of  milk;  in  five  minutes  the  chowder  will  be 
ready  to  use.  The  onions,  pork,  and  seasoning  willcost  five  cents; 
the  potatoes,  crackers  and  milk  five  more;  and  the  fish  ten  cents;  total 
for  two  quarts  of  good  chowder  twenty  cents. 

Mutton  Broth. — Put  two  pounds  of  a  jointed  neck  of  mutton,  (cost 
twelve  cents,)  in  two  and  a  half  quarts  of  cold  water,  and  let  it  boil 
slowly;  skim  it  carefully,  season  it  with  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt, 
half  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  and  the  same  of  sweet  herbs;  then  add 
one  quart  of  yellow  turnips,  peeled  and  quartered,  (cost  three  cents,) 
and  four  ounces  of  well  washed  pearl  barley,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  boil 
about  an  hour  longer,  or  until  the  turnips  and  barley  are  tender.  Take 
up  the  meat  on  a  platter,  lay  the  turnips  around  it,  and  pour  the  broth 
and  barley  into  a  soup  tureen.  The  broth,  meat  and  vegetables  will 
cost  seventeen  cents,  and  will  make  a  good  dinner  with  the  addition 
of  bread;  or  you  can  use  the  mutton  and  turnips  for  one  meal,  and 
keep  the  broth  and  barley  for  another. 

Veal  Broth. — Make  this  as  you  would  the  mutton  broth,  using  a 
knuckle  of  veal,  (which  costs  ten  cents,)  instead  of  the  neck  of  mutton, 
and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  rice,  (which  costs  two  or  three  cents,)  in- 
stead of  barley;  omit  the  turnips.  You  will  have  a  good,  nutritious, 
broth  for  about  thirteen  cents. 

White  Broth. — Cut  two  pounds  of  the  neck  of  veal,  (cost  twelve 
cents,)  in  cutlets,  and  put  it  in  a  sauce  pan  with  two  ounces  of  salt 
pork,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  half  a  teaspoonful 
of  pepper,  one  onion  chopped,  six  whole  cloves,  and  half  a  pint  of 
water;  (the  seasoning  will  cost  about  one  cent;)  boil  these  ingredients 
for  ten  minutes,  stirring  often  enough  to  prevent  burning,  then  add  two 
and  a  half  quarts  of  hot  water,  and  skim  the  broth  thoroughly  as  soon 


-   37 

as  it  boils  up;  let  it  simmer  for  half  an  hour,  when  take  up  the  meat, 
reserving  it  for  stew,  strain  the  broth,  let  it  boil  up  again,  and  then  put 
into  it  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  macaroni,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  boil  it 
for  half  an  hour  longer.  While  it  is  boiling  put  the  meat  with  half  a 
quart  of  peeled  and  quartered  potatoes,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  teaspoonful 
of  salt,  and  a  pint  of  boiling  water  into  a  sauce  pan  and  let  them  cook  as 
long  as  the  macaroni.  Serve  the  stew  by  itself,  and  the  broth  and  macaro- 
ni in  a  soup  tureen.  With  bread  these  two  dishes  make  a  good  dinner, 
at  a  cost  of  about  twenty-five  cents.  You  can  sometimes  use  rice  or 
dumplings  instead  of  macaroni. 

Cream  Soup. — Proceed  as  for  white  broth,  using  the  meat  for  a 
stew,  skimming  all  the  fat  off  the  broth,  and  then  adding  to  it  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  flour  mixed  smooth  with  half  a  pint  of  milk;  when 
the  milk  and  flour  are  mixed  smooth  pour  i^ito  them  a  gill  of  the  boil- 
ing broth,  and  then  add  them  to  the  soup ;  see  if  the  seasoning  is  right, 
and  boil  it  ten  minutes,  stirring  it  to  prevent  burning;  during  this  time 
toast  a  few  slices  of  stale  bread,  cut  them  in  dice,  and  put  them  in  the 
soup  tureen;  when  the  soup  is  ready  pour  it  over  the  toast,  take  up  the 
stew  on  another  dish,  and  serve  both  together.  They  make  a  good 
dinner  for  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Beef  Broth. — Put  two  pounds  of  lean  beef  from  the  neck,  (cost 
twelve  cents, )  in  two  and  a  half  quarts  of  cold  water  to  boil ;  skim  as 
soon  as  it  boils,  and  add  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  half  a  teaspoon- 
ful of  pepper,  quarter  of  a  nutmeg  grated,  a  few  sweet  herbs,  and  half 
a  dozen  cloves;  (cost  of  seasoning  two  cents;)  boil  gently  for  one  hour. 
At  the  end  of  quarter  of  an  hour  make  as  follows  some 

Norfolk  Dumplings. — Mix  by  sifting  together  one  pound  of 
flour,  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  two  of  baking-powder,  (cost  three 
cents;)  make  into  a  soft  dough  with  one  egg,  half  a  pint  of  milk  and  a 
very  little  water,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  drop  them  by  the  tablespoonful 
in  the  soup;  be  careful  that  the  pot  does  not  stop  boiling,  or  the  dump- 
lings will  be  heavy. 

At  the  end  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour  stir  together  over  the  fire 
in  a  large  sauce-pan  one  ounce  each  of  butter  and  flour,  (cost  two 
cents,)  and  when  they  are  nicely  browned,  gradually  add,  and  mix 
with  an  egg-whip  or  large  fork,  a  pint  of  the  boiling  soup.  Take  up 
the  meat  and  dumplings  on  the  same  dish,  strain  the  soup  into  the 
sauce  you  have  just  made,  and  mix  it  thoroughly;  put  a  little  of  it  over 


38 

the  meat  and  dumplings,  and  serve  the  rest  in  the  soup  tureen  ;  it  is 
very  nice  with  small  dice  of  toast  in  4t. 

Both  dishes  make  an  excellent  dinner,  at  a  cost  of  about  twenty- 
five  cents,  including  bread. 

Meat  BreWlS.— This  palatable  dish  is  made  by  putting  the 
thick  upper  or  under  crust  of  a  stale  loaf  of  bread  into  the  pot  when 
any  meat  or  soup  is  boiling,  and  letting  it  remain  about  five  minutes  to 
thoroughly  absorb  the  broth;  it  should  then  be  taken  out  as  whole  as 
possible,  and  eaten  at  once.  It  is  satisfactory,  nutritious  and  econom- 
ical; enough  for  a  hearty  meal  costing  not  more  than  five  cents. 


CHAPTER   VI. 
PEAS,  BEANS,  LENTILS,  AND  MAIZE. 

BEFORE  giving  you  receipts  for  cooking  peas,  beans,  and  lentils,  I 
want  to  show  you  how  important  they  are  as  foods.  I  have  already 
spoken  of  the  heat  and  flesh  forming  properties  of  food  as  the  test  of 
its  usefulness;  try  to  understand  that  a  laboring  man  needs  twelve 
ounces  and  a  half  of  heat  food,  and  half  an  ounce  of  flesh-food  every 
day  to  keep  him  healthy.  One  pound,  or  one  and  a  quarter  pints  of 
dried  peas,  beans,  or  lentils,  contains  nearly  six  ounces  of  heat  food, 
and  half  an  ounce  of  flesh  food ;  that  is,  nearly  as  much  heat-food, 
and  more  than  twice  as  much  flesh  food  as  wheat.  A  little  fat,  salt 
meat,  or  suet,  cooked  with  them,  to  bring  up  their  amount  of  heat-food 
to  the  right  point,  makes  either  of  them  the  best  and  most  strengthen- 
ing food  a  workingman  can  have.  The  only  objection  to  their  frequent 
use  is  the  fact  that  their  skins  are  sometimes  hard  to  digest ;  but  if  you 
make  them  into  soup,  or  pudding,  rubbing  them  through  a  sieve  after 
they  are  partly  cooked,  you  will  be  safe  from  any  danger. 
1  Oatmeal  and  Peas. — Cut  quarter  of  a  pound  of  fat  pork  or  bacon, 
(cost  four  cents,)  into  pieces  half  an  inch  square;  put  it  in  the  bottom  of 
a  pot  with  two  sliced  onions,  (cost  one  cent, )  and  fry  ten  minutes  with- 
out burning;  season  with  two  teaspoonfuls  of  salt,  one  of  sugar,  and 
one  saltspoonful  of  pepper;  (cost  of  seasoning  one  cent;)  then  add 
three  quarts  of  cold  water,  and  one  pint  of  peas,  (cost  five  cents,)  and 


39 

koil  the  whole  gently  until  the  peas  become  quite  soft;  then  stir  in 
enough  oatmeal  to  thicken,  about  a  quarter  of  a  pound,  (cost  two  cents 
or  less;)  simmer  for  twenty  minutes,  and  then  eat  hot.  It  is  the 
healthiest  kind  of  a  meal,  and  costs  thirteen  cents,  or  less. 

Peas-Pudding. — Soak  one  pint  of  dried  peas,  (cost  five  cents,)  in 
cold  water  over  night;  tie  them  loosely  in  a  clean  cloth,  and  boil  them 
about  two  hours  in  pot -liquor  or  water,  putting  them  into  it  cold  and 
bringing  them  gradually  to  a  boil ;  drain  them,  pass  them  through  a 
sieve  with  a  wooden  spoon,  season  them  with  a  level  tablespoonful  of 
salt,  half  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  one  ounce  of  butter,  and  one  egg, 
(all  of  which  will  cost  five  cents,)  mix,  tie  in  a  clean  cloth,  and  boil 
half  an  hour  longer;  then  turn  it  from  the  cloth  on  a  dish,  and  serve 
hot.  This  receipt  makes  a  good  large  pudding  for  ten  cents;  or  you 
can  leave  out  the  egg  and  it  will  cost  less. 

Peas  and  Bacon. — Put  one  pound  of  bacon,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  to 
boil  in  two  and  a  half  quarts  of  cold  water,  with  one  pint  of  dried  peas, 
(cost  five  cents;)  when  the  peas  are  soft,  drain  them,  press  them 
through  a  sieve,  lay  them  neatly  on  a  flat  dish,  place  the  bacon  on 
them,  and  set  them  in  the  oven  to  brown.  Meantime  strain  any  water 
which  may  remain  after  boiling  them,  and  thicken  it  over  the  fire  with 
Indian  meal,  in  the  proportion  of  four  or  five  tablespoonfuls  to  each 
pint,  so  as  to  make  it  thick  enough  to  cut  and  fry  when  cold;  boil  it 
about  one  hour,  and  then  cool  it. 

As  soon  as  the  peas  and  bacon  are  brown,  serve  them  with  boiled 
potatoes  or  bread,  (about  five  cents'  worth  of  either;)  they  make  a  good 
dinner,  and  with  the  hasty  pudding,  cost  only  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Baked  Peas. — Proceed  as  directed  for  peas-pudding,  only  instead 
of  putting  the  peas  again  in  the  cloth  put  them  in  a  pudding-dish,  arid 
brown  them  in  the  oven.  A  large  dish  costs  only  ten  cents. 

Peas  and  Onions. — Proceed  as  directed  for  peas  pudding,  omitting 
the  egg,  and  substituting  for  it  an  onion  chopped  and  fried  in  an  ounce 
of  drippings;  bake  as  in  the  previous  receipt.  The  cost  will  be  about 
ten  cents,  and  the  dish  is  exceedingly  nutritious. 

Baked  Beans. — Put  one  pint  of  dried  beans,  (cost  six  cents,)  and 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  salt  pork,  (cost  four  cents,)  into  two  quarts  of 
cold  water;  bring  them  to  a  boil,  and  boil  them  slowly  for  about 
twenty  minutes;  then  put  the  beans,  with  about  a  teacupful  of  the 
water  they  were  boiled  in,  into  an  open  jar,  season  them  with  salt  and 


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pepper  to  taste,  and  one  tablespoonful  of  molasses,  (cost  of  seasoning 
one  cent,)  lay  the  pork  on  the  top,  and  bake  two  hours,  or  longer. 
The  dish  will  cost  about  ten  cents,  and  is  palatable  and  nutritious. 
The  liquor  in  which  the  beans  were  boiled  should  be  saved,  and  used 
the  next  morning  as  broth,  with  seasoning  and  a  little  fried  or  toasted 
bread  in  it. 

Stewed  Beans. — Soak  a  pint  of  tlried  beans,  (cost  six  cents,)  over 
night  in  cold  water;  put  them  to  boil  in  a  quart  of  cold  water  with  one 
ounce  of  drippings,  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  quarter  of  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  pepper,  and  boil  them  gently  for  two  hours.  Then  drain 
them,  put  them  into  a  sauce  pan  with  one  ounce  of  butter  and  a  table- 
spoonful  of  chopped  parsley,  and  after  heating  them  through,  serve 
them  at  once.  The  drippings,  butter,  and  seasoning,  will  not  cost 
more  than  four  cents,  and  the  whole  dish  can  be  made  for  ten. 

Fried  B&anS. — Proceed  as  above,  omitting  the  parsley,  and  letting 
the  butter  get  hot  in  a  frying  pan,  before  putting  the  beans  in;  fry 
them  a  little,  stirring  them  so  that  they  will  brown  equally,  and  then 
serve  them.  The  dish  will  cost  ten  cents. 

Beans  and  BaCOn. — Soak  a  pint  of  dried  beans,  (cost  six  cents,)  over 
night  in  cold  water;  put  them  over  the  fire  in  one  quart  of  cold  water, 
with  quarter  of  a  pound  of  bacon,  (cost  three  cents, )  and  boil  them 
gently  for  about  two  hours;  then  stir  in  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour 
mixed  smooth  with  a  little  cold  water,  season  to  taste  with  pepper,  salt, 
and  if  you  like  it  a  little  chopped  onion,  and  let  them  stew  gently  for 
about  ten  minutes;  they  will  then  be  ready  to  serve.  The  dish  will 
cost  ten  cents. 

Lentils. — Lentils  have  been  used  for  food  in  older  countries  for  a 
long  time,  and  it  is  quite  necessary  that  we  should  become  acquainted 
with  their  merits  if  we  want  to  save;  I  give  a  lentil  soup,  and  some 
excellent  directions  for  cooking  this  invaluable  food.  One  quart  of 
lentils  when  cooked  will  make  four  pounds  of  hearty  food.  There  are 
two  varieties  in  market;  the  small  flat  brown  seed,  called  lentils  a  la 
reine;  and  a  larger  kind,  about  the  size  of  peas,  and  of  a  greenish 
color;  both  sorts  are  equally  well  flavored  and  nutritious;  they  cost  ten 
cents  a  pound,  and  can  be  bought  at  general  groceries.  ,The  seed  of 
the  lentil  tare,  commonly  cultivated  in  France  and  Germany  as  an  arti- 
cle of  food,  ranks  nearly  as  high  as  meat  as  a  valuable  food,  being 
capable  of  sustaining  life  and  vigor  for  a  long  time;  this  vegetable  is 


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gradually  becoming  known  in  this  country,  from  the  use  of  it  by  our 
French  and  German  citizens;  and  from  its  nutritive  value  it  deserves  to 
rank  as  high  as  our  favorite  New  England  Beans. 

Lentils  toiled  plaifl. — Wash  one  pound,  or  one  full  pint  of  lentils, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  well  in  cold  water,  put  them  over  the  fire,  in  three 
quarts  of  cold  water  with  one  one  ounce  of  drippings,  one  tablespoonful 
of  salt,  and  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  (cost  about  one  cent,)  and  boil 
slowly  until  tender,  that  is  about  three  hours;  drain  off  the  little  water 
which  remains,  add  to  the  lentils  one  ounce  of  butter,  a  tablespoonful 
of  chopped  parsley,  a  teaspoonful  of  sugar,  and  a  little  more  salt  and 
pepper  if  required,  (cost  about  three  cents,)  and  serve  them  hot. 
Always  save  the  water  in  which  they  are  boiled;  with  the  addition  of 
a  little  thickening  and  seasoning,  it  makes  a  very  nourishing  soup, 

Stewed  Lentils. — Put  a  pint  of  plain  boiled  lentils  into  a  sauce  pan, 
cover  them  with  any  kind  of  pot-liquor,  add  one  ounce  of  chopped 
onion,  two  ounces  of  drippings,  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  chopped  pars- 
ley, and  stew  gently  for  twenty  minutes;  serve  hot.  This  dish  costs 
about  ten  cents. 

Pried  Lentils. — Fry  one  ounce  of  chopped  onion  brown  in  two 
ounces  of  drippings,  add  one  pint  of  plain  boiled  lentils,  see  if  they  are 
properly  seasoned,  and  brown  them  well ;  serve  hot.  This  dish  costs 
about  ten  cents,  and  is  very  good,  and  as  nutritious  as  meat. 

Maize,  Or  Indian  Com  Meal. — This  native  product  is  a  strong  and 
nutritious  food,  and  very  economical;  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  hasty- 
pudding,  or  mush,  it  can  be  cooked  with  a  little  pot-liquor,  meat,  or 
cheese,  so  as  to  be  both  good  and  wholesome.  Below  are  some  excell- 
ent receipts  for  cooking  it. 

Polenta, — Boil  one  pound  of  yellow  Indian  meal,  (cost  four  cents,) 
for  half  an  hour,  in  two  quarts  of  pot-liquor  or  boiling  water,  salted  to 
taste,  with  one  ounce  of  fat,  stirring  it  occasionally  to  prevent  burning; 
then  bake  it  for  half  an  hour  in  a  greased  baking  dish,  and  serve 
it  either  hot,  or,  when  cold,  slice  it  and  fry  it  in  smoking  hot  fat.  This 
favorite  Italian  dish  is  closely  allied  to  the  hasty-pudding  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  the  mush  of  the  South.  It  costs  five  cents. 

Cheese  Pudding. — Into  two  quarts  of  boiling  water,  containing  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  salt,  stir  one  pound  of  yellow  Indian  meal,  (cost  four 
cents,)  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  grated  cheese,  (cost  four  cents;) 
boil  it  for  twenty  minutes,  stirring  it  occasionally  to  prevent  burning; 


42 

then  put  it  in  a  greased  baking  pan,  sprinkle  over  the  top  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  grated  cheese,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  brown  in  a  quick  oven. 
Serve  hot.  If  any  remains,  slice  it  cold  and  fry  it  brown.  It  costs 
twelve  cents. 

Hasty-Pudding. — Have  boiling  upon  the  fire  two  quarts  of  water 
with  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt;  sprinkle  in  gradually  one  pound  of 
Indian  meal,  (cost  four  cents,)  stirring  constantly  to  prevent  lumps; 
and  boil  steadily  for  one  hour,  stirring  occasionally.  The  secret  of 
making  good  hasty-pudding  is  to  boil  it  long  enough  to  thoroughly 
cook  it.  Some  persons  first  mix  the  meal  with  cold  water  until  it  forms 
a  thick  batter,  and  then  stir  this  into  the  boiling  water.  The  pudding 
can  be  eaten  with  a  little  milk,  butter,  or  molasses,  if  they  are  desirable 
additions;  or  with  some  meat  gravy,  or  melted  and  seasoned  suet. 
When  cold  it  is  good  sliced  and  fried. 

Johnny  Cake. — Mix  one  pound  of  Indian  meal,  (cost  four  cents,)  one 
ounce  of  lard,  (cost  one  cent,)  and  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  with  suffi- 
cient boiling  water  to  make  a  stift  batter;  put  it  by  the  tablespoonful 
into  a  greased  baking  pan,  and  bake  it  thoroughly.  Five  cents'  worth 
makes  a  hearty  meal,  with  a  little  butter  or  molasses. 

Indian  Cakes. — These  are  prepared  in  the  same  way  as  Johnny 
Cake,  except  that  the  batter  is  made  about  as  thin  as  buckwheat  cakes, 
and  baked  upon  a  greased  griddle  over  the  fire  instead  of  in  the  oven. 
The  most  economical  way  of  greasing  the  griddle  is  to  put  a  small 
piece  of  fat  salt  pork  upon  a  fork  and  rub  it  over  the  surface  of  the 
griddle  after  it  is  well  heated. 

Indian  Bread. — Mix  into  one  quart  of  bpiling  water  enough  Indian 
meal  to  make  a  thin  batter,  about  a  quarter  of  a  pound,  (cost  one  cent;) 
when  it  has  cooled,  stir  into  it  one  pound  of  wheat  flour,  (cost  four 
cents,)  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  one  gill  of  yeast;  let  it  rise 
over  night,  and  then  bake  it  in  loaves. 

Boiled  Indian  Pudding. — Dissolve  a  level  teaspoonful  of  soda  in 
one  pint  of  sour  milk,  add  to  it  one  pint  of  molasses,  (cost  five  cents,) 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  chopped  suet,  (cost  two  cents,)  half  a  pound  of 
Indian  meal,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  a  level  teaspoonful  of  salt;  if  you 
have  no  milk  use  boiling  water  instead  of  it;  put  the  pudding  into  a 
scalded  pudding  bag,  or  a  pudding  ketttle,  and  this  into  a  pot  of  boiling 
water;  boil  steadily  for  four  hours,  adding  boiling  water  as  the  quantity 


43 

decreases.     The  pudding  when  cooked  may  be  eaten  with  sauce  or 
molasses,  if  desired;  it  will  cost  about  ten  cents. 

Baked  Indian  Pudding. — Stir  into  a  quart  of  boiling  milk,  (cost 
eight  cents,)  quarter  of  a  pound  of  Indian  meal,  (cost  one  cent,)  one 
level  teaspoonful  of  salt,  the  same  of  spice,  and  one  ounce  of  butter, 
(cost  two  cents;)  last  of  all  add  one  pint  of  cold  milk,  (cost  four  cents,)  . 
or  milk  and  water.  Pour  the  pudding  into  an  earthen  dish,  and  bake 
slowly  for  three  hours.  It  will  cost  about  fifteen  cents,  and  be  very 
nice. 

There  is  as  much  difference  in  the  quality  of  Indian  meal  as  there  is 
in  its  preparation ;  Southern  meal  is  undoubtedly  finer  than  Northern, 
and  Southern  cooks  are  proverbial  for  their  skill  in  using  it.  I  am  in- 
debted for  some  of  the  preceding  receipts  to  a  friend  in  Maryland,  and 
I  advise  my  readers  to  buy  Southern  meal,  if  they  can  get  it,  and  test 
them  thoroughly.  Meal  that  is  ground  by  hand  or  water  power  is 
superior  to  that  ground  by  steam,  because  it  is  less  heated  in  the 
process. 

Indian  corn  is  an  excellent  food  in  temperate  and  warm  climates; 
and  from  its  abundant  yield,  and  easy  cultivation,  it  is  one  of  the  cheap- 
est of  cereals.  It  contains  the  nitrates,  or  flesh-forming  properties,  in 
an  excessive  degree.  It  is  a  palatable  and  nutritious  diet  whether 
eaten  green,  parched,  or  ground  into  meal. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
CHEAP  FISH  AND  MEAT  DINNERS. 

I  HAVE  already  spoken  of  the  value  of  fish  as  strengthening  food, 
and  in  support  of  what  I  say  I  need  only  to  remind  you  now  vigorous 
and  healthy  the  inhabitants  of  the  sea  coast  usually  are,  especially  if 
they  eat  red-blooded  fish.  This  fact,  in  connection  with  the  abundance 
and  cheapness  of  fish  makes  it  an  important  article  in  the  dietary  of 
the  good  housekeeper. 

Fish  may  be  cooked  by  boiling,  baking,  broiling,  and  frying;  boil- 
ing is  the  least  economical  method  of  cooking  fish,  and  fish  soup,  or 


44 

fish  chowder  the  most  saving;  broiled  fish  wastes  but  little  of  its  nutri- 
ment, but  its  bulk  is  decreased ;  baked  fish  ranks  next  to  fish  soup  in 
point  of  economy. 

Fish  are  preserved  for  winter  use  by  cleaning  them,  rubbing  them 
with  salt,  packing  them  in  layers,  and  covering  them  with  brine.  An 
excellent  way  of  pickling  fish  is  to  clean  them,  cut  off  the  heads,  tails, 
and  fins,  wash  them,  and  then  rub  them  well  with  salt  and  spice,  pack 
them  in  layers  in  an  earthen  crock  or  deep  dish,  cover  them  with  vine- 
gar, and  tie  the  jar  over  with  buttered  paper;  they  are  then  ready  to 
bake  slowly  for  about  four  hours;  and  will  keep  for  three  or  four  weeks 
after  they  are  cooked. 

In  London,  and  other  large  English  cities,  where  fried  fish  forms 
an  important  item  of  popular  food,  it  is  cooked  with  great  care,  and  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  retain  all  its  nourishing  qualities.  It  is  well 
washed  in  salted  water,  dried  on  a  clean  cloth,  cut  in  slices  if  large, 
dipped  in  a  rather  thin  batter,  made  of  flour,  salt,  pepper,  and  cold 
water,  and  then  dropped  into  a  pan  containing  plenty  of  fat  heated 
until  it  is  smoking  hot,  but  does  not  boil;  the  pan  is  then  taken  from 
the  fire,  and  by  the  time  the  fat  is  growing  cool  the  fish  is  cooked.  A 
novice  would  do  best  by  maintaining  the  fat  at  the  proper  degree  of 
heat  until  the  fish  is  cooked. 

The  receipts  which  I  give  for  fish  are  calculated  to  produce  com- 
pound dishes  from  it,  hearty  enough  to  make  the  bulk  of  a  meal. 

Pish  and  Potato  Pie,— Use  any  cheap  fish  which  does  not  cost 
more  than  five  or  six  cents  a  pound,  such  as  cod,  haddock,  or  blue- 
fish;  cut  two  pounds  of  fish,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  in  pieces  about  an  inch 
thick  and  two  inches  long;  lay  them  in  a  deep  dish  with  a  pint  of  cold 
gravy  of  any  kind,  or  cold  water,  season  with  a  tablespoonful  each  of 
chopped  parsley  and  onion,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  pepper,  and  thyme, 
mixed  together  in  equal  quantities,  and  sprinkled  among  the  fish ;  put 
it  into  the  oven  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  to  partly  cook.  Put  one 
.  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  into  boiling  water,  and  boil  until 
soft  enough  to  mash;  mash  them,  season  them  with  salt  and  pepper, 
and  put  them  over  the  fish,  which  you  must  take  from  the  oven,  as 
a  crust;  return  the  pie  again  to  the  oven  to  brown  the  crust,  and  then 
serve  it  with  bread  and  butter.  Twenty-five  cents  will  cover  the  cost 
of  all,  and  the  dinner  will  be  a  good  one. 

Pish  Pudding, — Make   a   plain   paste   by   mixing     quarter    of    a 


45 

pound  of  lard  or  sweet  drippings,  (cost  three  cents.)  with  half  a  pound 
of  flour,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  just  water  enough 
to  make  a  stiff  paste ;  roll  it  out ;  line  the  edges  of  a  deep  pudding 
dish  with  it  half  way  down;  fill  the  dish  with  layers  of  fresh  codfish 
cut  in  small  pieces,  using  two  pounds,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  season  each 
layer  with  salt,  pepper,  chopped  parsley,  and  chopped  onions,  using 
one  tablespoonful  of  salt,  one  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  two  bay  leaves, 
a  saltspoonful  of  thyme,  four  ounces  of  onion,  and  half  an  ounce  of 
parsley,  (cost  five  cents;)  fill  up  the  dish  with  any  cold  gravy,  milk, 
or  water,  cover  with  paste,  and  bake  fifteen  minutes  in  a  quick  oven ; 
finish  by  baking  half  an  hour  in  a  moderate  oven;  serve  hot. 

With  bread  the  dinner  will  cost  twenty-five  cents. 

Pish,  and  Potato  Pudding. — Wash  and  peel  one  quart  of  potatoes, 
(cost  three  cents,)  peel  and  slice  about  six  ounces  of  onions,  (cost  one 
cent,)  skin  and  bone  two  bloaters  or  large  herrings,  (cost  five  cents,)  put 
all  these  ingredients  into  a  baking  dish  in  layers,  seasoning  them  with 
a  dessertspoonful  of  salt  and  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper;  pour  over  them 
any  cold  gravy  you  have  on  hand,  or  add  two  or  three  ounces  of  drip- 
•  pings;  if  you  have  neither  of  these,  water  will  answer;  bake  the  pud- 
ding an  hour  and  a  half;  serve  hot,  with  bread.  If  you  use  drippings 
or  milk  the  entire  seasoning  will  cost  you  less  than  five  cents;  and  the 
whole  dinner,  which  is  excellent,  not  more  than  fifteen  cents. 

Codfish  Steaks. — Two  pounds  of  codfish,  (which  costs  at  the  market 
from  four  to  seven  cents,)  can  be  cut  in  steaks,  dried  well,  and  either 
dipped  in  flour,  or  thin  batter  of  flour,  salt,  pepper,  and  water,  and  fried 
in  smoking  hot  fat,  or  can  be  served  with  a  quart  of  boiled  potatoes, 
(cost  three  cents,)  and  plenty  of  bread  and  butter,  at  the  rate  of  about 
twenty  cents  a  meal. 

Red  HeningS  With  Potatoes. — Soak  a  dozen  herrings,  (cost  ten 
cents,)  in  cold  water  for  one  hour;  dry  and  skin  them,  split  them  down 
the  back,  and  lay  them  in  a  pan  with  two  ounces  of  drippings,  two 
ounces  of  onion  chopped  fine,  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  and  three  table- 
spoonfuls  of  vinegar,  (cost  two  cents, )  and  set  them  in  a  moderate  oven 
to  brown  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes;  meantime,  boil  one  quart  of  pota- 
toes, (cost  three  cents,)  with  a  ring  of  the  paring  taken  off,  in  plenty 
of  boiling  water  and  salt,  pouring  off  the  water  as  soon  as  they  are  ten- 
der, and  letting  them  stand  on  the  back  of  the  fire,  covered  with  a  dry 
towel,  for  five  minutes;  serve  them  with  the  herrings,  taking  care  to 


46 

dish  both  quite  hot.     With  bread  and  butter  a  plentiful  dinner  can  be 
had  for  about  twenty-two  cents. 

Cheap  Meats. — Those  parts  of  meat  which  are  called  the  cheap 
cuts,  such  as  the  head,  brains,  tongue,  tripe,  kidneys,  haslet  or  pluck, 
feet,  and  tail,  are  eaten  much  more  frequently  in  Europe  than  in  this 
country,  and  are  worthy  of  all  the  use  they  get  there;  for  their  propor- 
tion of  flesh-forming  elements  is  large ;  this  is  especially  the  case  with 
the  lights  or  lungs,  but  as  they  are  rather  difficult  to  digest,  they  should 
be  thoroughly  cooked,  and  never  eaten  alone.  Tripe  and  pigs'  feet, 
on  the  contrary,  are  very  easily  digested ;  but  on  this  account  are  not  as 
satisfactory  food  as  that  which  remains  longer  in  the  stomach;  although 
they  are  both  savory  and  cheap.  * 

Be  careful  to  keep  all  meat  stews  closely  covered,  or  a  great  deal 
of  the  nutriment  of  the  meat  will  escape  in  the  steam. 

Sheeps'  Head  Stew- — Thoroughly  clean  a  sheeps'  head,  weighing 
about  three  pounds,  (cost  about  ten  cents,)  put  it  over  the  fire  with 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  rice,  (cost  three  cents,)  two  cents'  worth  of 
onions  sliced,  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  of 
pepper,  and  three  pints  of  cold  water;  bring  it  slowly  to  a  boil,  skim-" 
ming  it  carefully,  and  then  add  five  cents'  worth  of  carrots  and  turnips, 
peeled  aud  quartered ;  let  all  simmer  gently  together  for  two  hours, 
being  careful  to  remove  all  grease,  and  see  if  the  seasoning  is  correct, 
before  dishing  the  stew.  With  bread,  or  boiled  potatoes,  the  meal  will 
cost  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Oxtail  Stew, — ?ut  two  jointed  oxtails,  (cost  about  ten  cents,)  over 
the  fire  in  one  quart  of  cold  water,  and  scald  them,  to  remove  the 
strong  flavor;  then  roll  the  joints  in  flour,  season  them  with  salt  and 
pepper,  and  pack  them  in  an  earthen  jar,  with  one  onion  chopped,  and 
one  quart  of  potatoes  peeled  and  sliced ;  the  vegetables  and  seasoning 
will  cost  about  five  cents;  add  one  pint  of  water,  put  on  the  cover  of 
the  jar,  and  cement  it  in  place  with  a  paste  of  flour  and  water,  which 
you  must  grease  a  little  to  prevent  cracking;  then  put  the  jar  into  a 
moderately  hot  oven,  and  bake  it  about  four  hours.  With  the  addition 
of  bread  and  butter  it  makes  a  hearty  meal,  and  costs  about  twenty-two 
cents. 

Beef  Pie. — Cut  in  two  inch  pieces  two  pounds  of  the  neck  of  beef, 
(cost  twelve  cents,)  brown  them  quickly  in  one  ounce  of  drippings, 
(cost  one  cent,)  season  them  with  pepper  and  salt,  put  them  into  a  pud- 


47 

ding  dish  in  layers  with  one  cents'  worth  of  chopped  onion,  and  one 
quart  of  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  peeled  and  sliced;  add  enough 
cold  water  to  cover  the  beef  and  vegetables,  and  put  over  them  a  crust 
made  of  one  pound  of  flour,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  lard,  (cost  three  cents,)  put  it  for  fifteen  minutes  into  a  hot 
oven,  and  then  bake  for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  a  moderate  one.  It  will 
cost  less  than  twenty-five  cents,  and  be  an  abundant  meal. 

Baked  Heart. — Thoroughly  wash  a  beefs  heart,  (cost  ten  cents,) 
stuff  it  with  half  a  loaf  of  stale  bread,  (cost  two  cents,)  moistened  with 
warm  water  and  seasoned  with  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  tea- 
spoonful  each  of  pepper,  chopped  parsley  and  sweet  herbs,  an  onion 
chopped,  and  one  ounce  of  sweet  drippings  (cost  of  all  these  two  cents ;) 
lay  it  in  a  dripping  pan  with  five  cents'  worth  of  parsnips  scraped  and 
washed,  and  bake  in  a  moderate  oven  about  two  hours.  It  may  be 
baked  in  an  earthen  jar,  like  the  oxcail  stew,  and  all  its  goodness  will 
be  saved. 

Parsnips  are  exceedingly  nutritious  and  cheap,  but  if  they  are  not 
liked  potatoes  may  be  substituted  for  them. 

The  entire  dinner  with  bread  and  butter  will  cost  about  twenty-five 
cents. 

Stewed  Kidneys  and  Potatoes. — Wash  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost 
three  cents,)  pare  off  one  ring  from  each,  and  put  them  to  boil  in  well 
salted  boiling  water.  Choose  a  very  fresh  beefs  kidney,  (cost  fifteen 
cents,)  cut  it  in  thin  slices,,  removing  all  the  white  vessels  and  mem- 
branes, fry  it  quickly  for  five  minutes  in  one  ounce  of  smoking  hot  drip- 
pings, (cost  one  cent,)  season  it  with  half  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and 
quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  a  teaspoonful  each  of  chopped  pars- 
ley, onion,  and  vinegar;  shake  into  it  from  the  dredging  box  one  table- 
spoonful  of  flour,  add  one  pint  of  boiling  water,  and  boil  gently  for 
fifteen  minutes.  By  this  time  the  potatoes  will  be  done,  and  both 
dishes  must  be  served  at  once,  because  the  kidneys  will  grow  tough  and 
indigestible  if  they  are  cooked  more  than  twenty  minutes  in  all.  They 
will  make  a  plentiful  dinner,  including  bread  and  butter,  for  about 
twenty-five  cents. 

Pig's  Kidneys  may  be  cooked  in  the  same  manner,  and  enough  can 
be  bought  for  ten  cents  to  make  a  good  sized  dish. 

Kidney  Pudding. — Cut  the  kidneys,  season,  and  stew  them  as  above, 
making  meantime  a  crust  from  one  pound  of  flour,  two  teaspoonfullsof 


48 

salt,  and  one  of  baking  powder,  sifted  together;  mix  into  these  ingre- 
dients four  ounces  of  finely  chopped  suet,  (cost  two  cents,)  make  them 
into  a  paste  with  about  one  pint  of  cold  water;  use  part  of  this  to  line 
a  deep  pudding  dish,  into  which  put  the  stewed  kidneys;  cover  the 
dish  with  the  rest  of  the  paste,  and  bake  it  about  an  hour  and  a  quarter 
in  a  regular,  moderately  hot  oven.  The  pudding  will  cost  about  thirty 
cents. 

Gammon  Dumpling. — Make  a  plain  paste  of  one  pound  of  flour, 
(cost  four  cents,)  one  dessertspoonful  of  salt,  and  one  of  baking  powder, 
quarter  of  a  pound  of. finely  chopped  suet  or  scraps,  (cost  two  cents,) 
and  sufficient  cold  water  to  mix  it  to  a  stiff  dough;  roll  this  out  about 
half  an  inch  thick,  spread  over  it  half  a  pound  of  any  cheap  cut 
of  bacon  or  ham,  finely  chopped,  (cost  six  cents,)  roll  up  the  dumpling 
as  you  would  a  roly-poly  pudding,  tie  it  tightly  in  a  clean  cloth,  and 
boil  it  in  boiling  water,  or  boiling  pot-liquor,  for  about  three  hours. 
Do  not  let  the  pot  stop  boiling,  or  the  dumpling  will  be  heavy.  Serve 
it  hot,  with  one  quart  of  plain  boiled  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents.)  The 
dinner  will  cost  fifteen  cents. 

Bacon  and  Apple  Hoty-poty.— Boil  a  pound  of  bacon,  (cost  twelve 
cents,)  for  half  an  hour;  then  slice  it  thin;  peel  and  slice  three  cents' 
worth  of  apples  and  the  same  quantity  of  onions ;  make  a  stiff  dough 
of  one  pound  of  flour,  (cost  four  cents,)  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  cold 
water;  roll  it  out  half  an  inch  thick;  lay  the  bacon,  apples, »and  onion 
all  over  it,  roll  it  up,  tie  it  tightly  in  a  clean  cloth,  and  boil  it  about 
two  hours,  in  plenty  of  boiling  water.  Serve  it  with  three  cents'  worth 
of  boiled  potatoes,  or  boiled  cabbage.  The  dinner  will  cost  twenty, 
five  cents. 

Mutton  and  Onions. — Choose  a  shoulder  of  mutton  weighing  about 
three  pounds,  which  you  can  buy  at  six  cents  a  pound ;  wipe  it  thor- 
oughly with  a  damp  cloth,  put  it  into  a  pot  half  full  of  boiling  water, 
with  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  boil  it  gently  for  two  hours,  skimming 
the  pot  as  often  as  any  scum  rises.  Half  an  hour  before  it  is  done  slice 
one  quart  of  onions,  (cost  five  cents,)  boil  them  in  a  pint  of  boiling 
water  for  about  twenty  minutes,  add  one  ounce,  of  butter,  (cost  two 
cents,)  half  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost  two  cents,)  four  tablespoonfuls  of  flour, 
(cost  one  cent,)  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  pepper  to  taste.  When 
you  have  put  the  onions  over  the  fire,  pare  rings  off  a  quart  of  potatoes, 
(cost  three  cents,)  and  boil  them  in  .well  salted  boiling  water.  Have 


49 

all  three  dishes  ready  at  once,  and  serve  them  together  hot.  Save  the 
broth  from  the  mutton,  and  the  next  morning  boil  it  up  once,  and  serve 
it  for  breakfast,  with  half  a  loaf  of  stale  bread,  toasted,  and  cut  in  dice; 
or  boil  in  it  for  twenty  minutes  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  rice  or  mac. 
aroni. 

The  dinner  will  cost  you  about  thirty  cents,  and  you  have  on  hand 
the  broth  for  breakfast. 

Pork  and  Onions. — Three  pounds  of  the  neck,  or  spare  ribs,  of  fresh 
pork,  which  you  can  buy  at  the  packing  houses  for  three  cents  a  pound, 
can  be  made  into  a  capital  dinner,  which  will  cost  only  about  twenty 
cents,  by  following  the  above  receipt. 

Veal  and  Rice. — Put  ^e  scrag  end  of  a  neck  of  veal,  which  you 
can  usually  buy  for  ten  cents,  into  a  pot  half  full  of  boiling  water,  with 
a  half  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  half  a  pound  of  bacon,  or  salt  pork, 
(cost  six  cents,)  half  a  pound  of  rice,  (cost  five  cents,)  and  an  onion 
stuck  with  six  cloves;  boil  it  gently  for  three  hours,  and  then  serve  it 
hot,  the  meat  in  the  middle  of  the  platter,  and  the  rice  laid  around  it. 
The  broth  may  be  served  for  breakfast,  as  in  the  receipt  for  MUTTON 
AND  ONIONS. 

The  dinner  will  cost  about  twenty  cents. 

Irish  Stew. — Cut  two  pounds  of  the  flank  of  beef,  (cost  fifteen  cents, 
or  less,)  in  pieces  about  two  inches  square,  rub  them  well  with  pepper 
and  salt;  peel  and  slice  one  quart  of  onions,  (cost  five  cents;)  place 
beef  and  onions  in  a  saucepan,  with  just  enough  cold  water  to  cover 
them,  and  stew  them  gently  for  one  and  a  half  hours;  then  add  one 
quart  of  peeled  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  and  boil  the  stew  until  the 
potatoes  are  soft,  which  will  be  in  about  twenty  minutes.  Serve  at 
once  hot.  The  dish  will  cost  twenty-three  cents. 

Sheep's  Haslet. — Peel  and  slice  one  quart  of  onions,  (cost  five  cents;) 
wash  and  slice  a  sheep's  haslet,  (cost  six  cents;)  put  two  ounces  of  drip- 
pings, (cost  two  cents,)  in  the  bottom  of  a  dripping  pan,  strew  the  on- 
ions  upon  it,  and  lay  the  haslet  on  them,  seasoning  it  with  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  salt,  and  one  of  thyme,  savory,  allspice,  and  pepper,  using  equal 
parts  of  each;  add  enough  water  to  reach  halfway  to  the  top  of  the 
meat,  then  cover  it  thickly  with  the  crumbs  from  half  a  loaf  of  stale 
bread,  and  bake  all  together  for  one  hour  and  a  half,  in  a  moderate 
oven.  The  whole  dish  will  not  cost  over  seventeen  cents,  and  it  is 
nutritious  and  savory. 


5® 

Baked  Pig's  Head. — Buy  at  a  packing  house  half  a  medium  sized 
pig's  head,  which  you  can  get  for  three  or  four  cents  a  pound,  (the 
piece  will  cost  about  ten  cents;)  clean  and  wash  it  well;  pare  and  slice 
one  quart  of  onions,  (cost  five  cents;)  chop  quarter  of  a  pound  of  suet, 
(dost  two  cents,)  and  grate  half  a  loaf  of  stale  bread,  (cost  three  cents;) 
put  into  a  dripping  pan  one  ounce  of  drippings,  (cost  one  cent,)  one 
gill  of  vinegar,  (cost  one  cent,)  then  the  onions,  next  the  head,  skin  up, 
and  last  the  bread,  suet,  and  seasoning,  well  mixed,  and  bake  in  a 
moderate  oven  for  about  one  and  a  half  hours.  The  dish  will  cost 
about  twenty-two  cents;  it  is  hearty  and  extremely  nutritious. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SUNDAY  DINNERS. 

SUNDAY  is  the  workingman's  festival.  It  is  not  only  a  day  of  rest 
from  manual  labor,  a  breathing  space  in  his  struggle  for  existence,  an 
interval  during  which  his  devotional  aspirations  may  have  full  exercise; 
it  is  the  forerunner  of  a  new  phase  of  life,  in  which  toil  is  laid  aside  for 
the  gentler  occupations  of  home,  if  he  is  a  man  of  family,  and  for  rest 
and  relaxation  in  any  case. 

The  duty  of  making  home  pleasant,  which  a  good  wife  feels,  is 
doubly  felt  upon  the  days  when  the  bread-winner  abides  in  it.  The 
husband  of  such  a  wife  seldom  passes  his  Sundays  in  strange  places: 
he  is  content  to  accept  the  day  according  to  its  recognized  signification, 
and  when  it  has  passed  he  is  all  the  more  ready  to  begin  his  daily  work 
again.  Because  much  of  the  comfort  of  home  depends  upon  good  and 
economical  meals,  and  because  Sunday  dinners  ought  to  be  better  than 
those  of  working  days,  we  must  make  Monday  dinners  supplementary 
to  them;  the  cost  of  Saturday  night's  marketing  must  be  divided  be- 
tween the  two  days,  in  order  to  keep  within  our  financial  margin. 
Good  examples  of  this  management  may  be  found  in  the  receipts  given 
in  this  chapter  for  ROAST  FOWL  and  FRIED  CHICKEN,  A  LA  MOD£ 
BEEF  and  MEAT  PATTIES,  BOILED  MUTTON  and  KROMESKYS,  and 
ROAST  VEAL  and  VEAL  AND  HAM  PATTIES.  These  receipts  show 
how  by  the  exercise  of  a  little  judgment  in  buying,  and  econcmy  in 


5' 

managing  food,  we  can  have  our  Sunday  fowl,  or  joint  of  meat,  with- 
out incurring  any  expense  unwarranted  by  the  figures  to  which  this 
little  book  confines  us. 

Roast  Fowl. — You  can  generally  buy  a  fowl  for  about  a  shilling  a 
pound;  it  need  not  be  tender,  but  it  ought  to  be  fleshy  in  order  to  fur- 
nish the  basis  for  two  meals.  Choose  a  fowl  which  will  cost  fifty  cents 
or  less;  pluck  all  the  pin  feathers,  singe  off  the  hairs  with  a  piece  of 
burning  paper,  or  a  little  alcohol  poured  on  a  plate  and  lighted  with  a 
match;  then  wipe  the  fowl  with  a  clean  damp  cloth,  draw  it  carefully 
by  slitting  the  skin  at  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  taking  out  the  crop 
without  tearing  the  skin  of  the  breast;  loosen  the  heart,  liver,  and 
lungs  by  introducing  the  fore -finger  at  the  neck,  and  then  draw  them, 
with  the  entrails,  from  the  vent.  Unless  you  have  broken  the  gall,  or 
the  entrails,  in  drawing  the  bird,  do  not  wash  it,  for  this  greatly  impairs 
the  flavor,  and  partly  destroys  the  nourishing  qualities  of  the  flesh. 
Twist  the  tips  of  the  wings  back  under  the  shoulders;  bend  the  legs  as 
far  up  toward  the  breast  as  possible,  secure  the  thigh  bones  in  that  po- 
sition by  a  trussing  cord  or  skewer;  then  bring  the  legs  down,  and  fas- 
ten them  close  to  the  vent.  Put  the  bird  into  a  pot  containing  three 
quarts  of  boiling  water,  with  one  tablespoonful  of  salt,  an  onion  stuck 
with  half  a  dozen  cloves,  and  a  boirtniet  of  sweet  herbs,  made  as  direct- 
ed on  page  19;  skim  it  as  soon  as  it  boils,  and  as  often  as  any  scum 
rises.  If  you  wish  to  stuff  the  fowl  use  a  forcemeat  made  as  follows, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  and  carefully  sew  it  up  in  the  carcass. 

Forcemeat  Or  Stuffing. — Cut  two  ounces  of  salt  pork,  (cost  two 
cents,)  in  quarter  inch  dice,  and  fry  it  brown  in  half  an  ounce  of  drip- 
pings, with  one  ounce  of  chopped  onion ;  Awhile  these  ingredients  are 
frying,  soak  five  cents'  worth  of  stale  bread  in  tepid  water,  and  then 
wring  it  dry  in  a  napkin ;  add  it  to  the  onion  when  it  is  brown,  with 
one  tablespoonful  of  chopped  parsley,  half  a  saltspoonful  of  powdered 
thyme,  and  the  same  quantity  of  dried  and  powdered  celery,  and  white 
pepper,  and  one  teaspoonful  of  salt;  mix  all  these  over  the  fire  until 
they  are  scalding  hot,  and  cleave  from  the  pan ;  then  stir  in  one  raw 
egg,  and  stuff  the  fowl  with  it.  It  is  good  stuffing  for  any  kind  of 
poultry  or  meat.  A  few  ounces  of  grated  cheese  make  it  superlatively 
good. 

Meantime,  while  the  fowl  is  boiling,  peel  one  quart  of  potatoes, 
(cost  three  cents,)  and  lay  them  in  cold  water.  At  the  end  of  one 


52 

hour  take  the  fowl  from  the  pot,  taking  care  to  strain  and  save  the  pot 
liquor,  put  it  into  a  dripping  pan  with  the  potatoes,  season  them  both 
with  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  and 
put  them  in  a  rather  quick  oven  to  bake  for  about  one  hour.  When 
both  are  well  done,  and  nicely  browned,  take  them  up  on  hot  dishes, 
and  keep  them  hot  while  you  make  the  following  gravy: 

Chicken  Gravy. — Pour  one  pint  of  boiling  water  into  the  dripping 
pan  in  which  the  fowl  was  baked ;  while  it  is  boiling  up  mix  one  heap- 
ing tablespoonful,  or  one  ounce,  of  flour  with  half  a  cup  of  cold  water, 
and  stir  it  smoothly  into  the  gravy ;  season  it  to  taste  with  pepper  and 
salt,  and  send  it  in  a  bowl  to  the  table  with  the  chicken  and  potatoes. 

In  carving  the  chicken  cut  off  the  drumsticks,  wings,  and  neck  care- 
fully, and  lay  them  aside;  use  the  second  joints,  breast  and  fleshy  parts, 
for  dinner;  and  after  dinner  cut  up  what  remains  of  the  carcass  in  neat 
pieces,  which  you  must  save  with  the  pieces  first  cut  off,  to  use  for  FRIED 
CHICKEN.  C 

Half  the  cost  of  the  Roast  Chicken,  stuffed,  and  the  Baked  Potatoes, 
will  be  thirty -eight  cents. 

Fried  Chicken. — Dip  the  pieces  of  chicken  saved  from  the  Sunday 
dinner  into  a  batter  made  according  to  the  following  receipt,  and  fry  it 
a  delicate  brown  color  in  quarter  oi  a  pound  of  olive  oil  or  sweet  drip- 
pings, or  lard,  (cost  three  cents,)  heated  until  it  is  smoking  hot.  Before 
you  begin  to  fry  the  chicken,  wash  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost  three 
cents,)  pare  off  a  ring  from  each,  and  put  them  to  boil  in  plenty  of  well 
salted  boiling  water.  When  the  chicken  is  done  take  it  up  with  a 
strainer,  and  lay  it  for  a  few  minutes  on  brown  paper  to  free  it  from 
fat;  then  serve  it  hot,  with  the  boiled  potatoes. 

Prying  Batter. — This  batter  will  do  nicely  for  chicken,  fish,  clams, 
cold  boiled  parsnips,  or  fruit  of  any  kind,  of  which  you  wish  to  make 
fritters.  The  oil  is  added  to  it  for  the  purpose  of  making  it  crisp. 
Many  persons  object  to  the  use  of  oil  in  cooking,  from  a  most  foolish 
prejudice.  It  is  a  pure  vegetable  fat,  wholesome  and  nutritious  in  the 
highest  degree;  and  the  sooner  our  American  housewives  learn  to  use 
it  in  cooking  the  better  it  will  be  for  both  health  and  purse.  I  do  not 
mean  the  expensive  oil,  sold  at  fine  grocery  stores  for  a  dollar  a  bottle, 
but  a  good  sweet  kind  which  can  be  bought  at  French  Epicerie  or 
German  Delicatessen  depots  for  about  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  gal- 
lon. Make  the  batter  by  mixing  together  four  heaping  tablespoonfuls  of 


53 

flour,  (cost  one  cent,)  a  level  teaspoonful  of  salt,  the  yolk  of  one  egg, 
(cost  one  or  two  cents,)  two  table  spoonfuls  of  oil,  (cost  one  cent,)  and 
one  gill  of  water,  or  a  quantity  sufficient  to  make  a  thick  batter;  just 
as  you  are  ready  to  use  it,  beat  the  white  of  the  egg,  and  stir  it  into 
the  batter;  the  cost  will  be  three  or  four  cents,  and  the  use  of  it  will 
double  the  size  and  nicety  of  your  dish. 

Chicken  Broth. — Heat  the  broth  in  which  the  fowl  for  Sunday  din- 
ner was  boiled,  and  when  it  is  at  the  boiling  point  throw  in  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  rice,  or  fine  macaroni,  which  will  cost  three  or  four  cents, 
and  boil  it  about  twenty  minutes,  or  until  tender;  see  if  the  seasoning 
is  right,  and  serve  it  hot. 

New  York  Cooking  School  PricaSSee.— Prepare  a  fowl  weighing 
about  three  pounds,  (cost  three  shillings,)  as  directed  in  the  receipt  for 
Roast  Fowl  J  cut  it  in  neat  joints,  fry  it  quickly  in  one  ounce  of  sweet 
drippings,  (cost  one  cent,)  till  brown;  cover  it  with  boiling  water,  add 
one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  quarter  of  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper, 
and  stew  it  gently  until  tender,  keeping  it  covered  closely;  when  it  is 
about  half  done,  add  to  it  some  dumplings  made  as  follows: 

Sliet  Dumplings. — Make  into  a  stiff  paste,  with  about  two  gills  of 
cold  water,  half  a  pound  of  flour,  (cost  two  cents,)  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  chopped  suet,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  the  same 
quantity  of  baking  powder  sifted  with  the  flour;  drop  the  paste  into 
the  fricassee  from  a  teaspoon  dipped  in  cold  water,  and  let  them  boil 
with  it;  these  dumplings  cost  less  than  five  cents,  and  are  nice  with 
any  stew,  soup,  or  fricassee. 

•  Rabbit  Curry, — Choose  a  tender  rabbit4  or  hare,  which  will  cost  at 
the  market  about  twenty  cents,  and  which  if  young  will  be  plump,  and 
have  a  short  neck,  thick  knees,  and  fore  paws  whose  joints  break  easily; 
hang  it  by  the  hind  legs,  and  skin  it,  beginning  at  the  tail,  and 
ending  at  the  head,  wipe  it  carefully  with  a  damp  cloth  to  remove  the 
hairs;  take  out  the  entrails,  saving  the  brains,  heart  and  liver,  rinse  out 
the  carcass  with  a  cup  of  vinegar,  (cost  two  cents,)  which  you  must 
save,  and  cut  it  in  joints;  lay  the  rabbit  in  a  deep  frying  pan,  with  two 
ounces  of  drippings,  (cost  two  cents,)  one  cent's  worth  of  onion  sliced, 
a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  ten  whole  cloves,  and  quarter  of  a  level  teaspoon- 
ful of  pepper;  fry  it  gently  for  twenty  minutes;  then  add  one  cent's 
worth  of  parsley,  the  vinegar,  half  a  level  tablespoonful  of  curry,  and 
one  tablespoonful  of  flour  mixed  with  half  a  teacupful  of  water,  and 


54 

simmer  all  gently  for  fifteen  minutes,  keeping  the  pan  closely  Covered. 
When  the  rabbit  is  first  put  upon  the  fire,  put  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
rice,  (cost  four  cents,)  into  two  quarts  of  boiling  water  with  one  table- 
spoonful  of  salt,  and  boil  it  until  the  ends  of  the  grains  begin  to  crack 
open;  turn  it  from  the  pot  into  a  colander,  drain  it,  shake  it  back  into 
the  pot,  and  cover  it  to  keep  it  hot  until  the  rabbit  is  done ;  then  send 
it  to  the  table  with  the  rabbit,  but  on  a  dish  by  itself.  The  RABBIT 
CURRY  AND  RICE  will  cost  about  twenty-eight  cents. 

Babbit  Pi©. — Prepare  a  rabbit,  or  hare,  (cost  twenty  cents,)  as  for 
the  CURRY,  and  after  you  have  jointed  it,  roll  each  piece  in  flour,  salt 
and  pepper  mixed;  slice  two  cent's  worth  of  onions,  peel  and  slice 
three  cents'  worth  of  potatoes,  and  put  these  into  a  pudding  dish  in 
layers  with  the  rabbit,  season  with  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  quarter 
of  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  add  half  a  pint  of  cold  water,  cover 
the  pie  with  a  plain  paste,  made  as  for  SUET  DUMPLINGS  (cost  five 
cents,)  and  bake  for  one  hour  and  a  quarter.  These  quantities  will 
cost  about  thirty  cents,  and  make  a  large  pie. 

Pickled  Shad. — In  season  fine  large  shad  can  be  bought  for  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  each  one  will  be  enough  for  two  hearty  meals.  Thor- 
oughly clean  a  fresh  shad ;  cut  it  in  pieces  about  three  inches  square,  lay 
it  in  a  deep  baking  dish,  or  earthen  crock,  seasoning  it  well  with  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  salt,  one  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  one  dozen  whole 
cloves,  two  bay-leaves  broken,  and  a  bit  of  lemon  or  orange  peel,  if 
you  have  it;  pour  over  it  enough  vinegar  to  cover  it,  tie  an  oiled  or 
buttered  paper  over  the  top  of  the  dish  or  crock,  and  bake  the  shad  five 
hours  in  a  moderate  oven.  The  action  of  the  pickle  will  be  to  entirely 
soften  the  bones  of  the  fish,  so  that  every  part  of  it  will  be  eatable.  One 
half  of  it  will  cost  about  fifteen  cents;  and  with  the  addition  of  five  cents' 
worth  of  bread  or  potatoes,  will  make  a  hearty  dinner  for  twenty  cents. 

Pork  Pie. — Cut  in  two  inch  pieces  two  pounds  of  pork  trimmings, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  roll  them  in  flour,  season  them  with  two  teaspoonfuls 
of  salt,  quarter  of  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  and  one  teaspoonful 
of  curry,  put  them  in  a  deep  baking  pan  or  dish  with  two  cents'  worth 
of  onions,  and  three  cents'  worth  of  potatoes,  peeled  and  sliced,  add 
half  a  pint  of  cold  water,  and  bake  the  pie  slowly  for  one  hour  and  a 
quarter.  It  will  cost  about  fifteen  cents  made  as  above ;  or  a  suet  crust, 
made  as  directed  for  SUET  DUMPLINGS,  may  be  added  for  five  cents 
more.  If  the  taste  of  curry  is  not  liked  it  may  be  omitted. 


55 

Pork  Chops. — Buy  at  a  packing  house  two  pounds  of  shoulder 
chops,  (cost  sixteen'  to  twenty  cents,)  roll  them  in  flour,  pepper,  and 
salt,  put  them  into  a  hot  frying  pan,  and  fry  them  brown,  cooking  them 
at  least  twenty  minutes.  Meantime  boil  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost 
three  cents,)  in  boiling  water  and  salt,  and  chop  fine  one  pickle,  (cost 
one  cent.)  When  the  chops  are  done,  take  them  up,  and  keep  them 
hot,  while  you  make  the  gravy  by  pouring  into  the  frying-pan  half  a 
pint  of  boiling  water,  and  adding  to  it  the  chopped  pickle,  a  table- 
spoonful  of  flour  mixed  smooth  with  half  a  cup  of  cold  water,  and  salt 
and  pepper  to  taste.  Boil  it  up  once,  pour  it  over  the  chops,  and  serve 
them  hot  with  the  potatoes. 
.-  The  dinner  will  cost  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Roast  Pork  and  Apples. — Season  two  pounds  of  shoulder  chops, 
(cost  twenty  cents,  or  less,)  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  powdered  sage, 
and  put  them  in  a  deep  baking  dish  with  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost 
three  cents,)  two  cents*  worth  of  onions,  and  two  cents'  worth  of  ap- 
ples, peeled  and  sliced;  add  half  a  pint  of  cold  water,  and  bake  two 
hours  in  a  moderate  oven. 

The  dish  will  cost  twenty-seven  cents,  or  less. 

Stewed  SatLSage. — Prick  a  pound  and  a  half  of  sausages,  (cost 
eighteen  cents,)  lay  them  in  hot  water  for  three  minutes,  roll  them  in 
flour,  put  them  in  a  hot  frying  pan,  and  fry  them  brown;  take  them 
up  and  fry  about  half  a  loaf  of  stale  bread  sliced,  in  the  same  pan; 
put  this  on  a  platter,  lay  the  sausages  on  it,  and  pour  over  them  a 
gravy  made  as  follows;  after  taking  up  the  sausages,  pour  into  the 
pan  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  season  it  to  taste  with  salt  and  pepper, 
thicken  it  with  one  tablespoonful  of  flour  mixed  smooth  in  half  a  cup- 
ful of  cold  water,  add  to  it  one  chopped  pickle,  boil  it  up,  aud  pour 
it  over  the  sausages  and  bread.  The  seasoning  and  flour  will  cost 
two  cents,  the  bread  three,  and  the  whole  dish  about  twenty-three 
cents.  If  you  serve  it  with  a  quart  of  plain  boiled  potatoes  it  will  cost 
twenty-five  or  twenty-six  cents. 

German  Potatoes. — Carefully  wash  one  quart  of  potatoes,  removing 
any  defective  part,  cut  a  slice  from  the  top  of  the  potatoes,  take  one  a 
little  of  the  inside,  chop  it  fine,  mix  it  with  half  a  pound  of  highly 
seasoned  sausage  or  mincemeat,  (cost  six  cents,)  fill  it  into  the  pota- 
toes, put  on  the  piece  you  first  cut  off,  and  bake  them  for  about  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  in  a  quick  oven.  Serve  them  as  soon  as  they  are 


56 

soft.     Ten  cents  will  cover  the  entire  cost,  and  they  will  make  a  very 
hearty  and  nutritious  meal,  especially  if  the  meat  used  is  pork. 

Brain  and  Liver  Pudding.— You  can  generally  buy  a  pig's  brain 
and  haslet  at  the  slaughter  house  for  about  ten  cents;  wash  them  thor- 
oughly; slice  the  heart,  liver,  and  lights,  and  fry  them  light  brown  in 
a  cents'  worth  of  drippings.  Put  the  brain  over  the  fire  in  cold  water 
with  a  tablespoonful  each  of  salt  and  vinegar,  let  it  boil  for  fifteen 
minutes,  and  then  lay  it  in  cold  water  to  get  hard.  Make  a  suet  crust, 
as  directed  for  SUET  DUMPLINGS,  (cost  five  cents,)  roll  out  a  cover  for 
the  pudding,  line  the  edges  of  the  dish  two  inches  down  with  it,  and 
put  any  bits  you  may  have  remaining,  into  the  dish  in  layers  with  the 
haslet  and  brain  sliced;  season  the  pudding  with  one  level  tablespoon- 
ful of  salt,  one  onion  chopped,  and  half  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper; 
cover  it  with  the  suet  crust,  and  bake  it  for  about  an  hour  in  a  moder- 
ate oven.  Serve  it  hot.  The  pudding  will  make  a  very  hearty  dinner, 
at  a  cost  of  about  fifteen  cents. 

Broiled  Kidneys.— Mix  together  in'a  deep  plate  the  following  ingre- 
dients,  which  will  cost  about  three  cents;  one  ounce  of  butter,  half  a 
level  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  one  teaspoonful  each  of  mustard,  and  any 
table  sauce  or  vinegar,  and  as  much  cayenne  as  you  can  take  up  on  the 
point  of  a  small  pen-knife  blade;  toast  half  a  loaf  of  stale  bread,  (cost 
three  cents,)  cut  in  slices  one  inch  thick;  wash,  split,  and  broil  one 
pound  of  pig's  or  sheep's  kidneys,  (cost  ten  cents  or  less;)  while  the 
kidneys  are  broiling  dip  the  toast  in  the  first  named  seasonings,  lay  it 
on  a  hot  dish,  and  lay  the  kidneys  on  it  as  soon  as  they  are  broiled ; 
season  them  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  serve  them  hot  with  one  quart 
of  plain  boiled  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents.)  The  cost  of  the  entire  din- 
ner will  be  less  than  twenty  cents. 

Tripe,  Curry  and  Bice .— Thoroughly  wash  two  pounds  of  tripe, 
(cost  sixteen  cents,)  boil  it  until  tender,  about  one  hour,  in  plenty  of 
water  and  salt;  then  lay  it  on  a  clean,  dry  cloth  to  drain;  put  half  a 
pound  of  rice,  (cost  five  cents.)  into  the  same  water,  and  boil  it  fast  for 
twenty  minutes ;  cut  the  tripe  in  pieces  two  inches  square;  slice  two 
cents'  worth  of  onions,  frying  them  in  two  ounces  of  drippings,  (cost 
two  cents,)  season  with  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  level  tea- 
spoonful  of  pepper,  and  one  tablespoonful  of  vinegar,  add  to  the  tripe, 
and  cook  all  together  for  fifteen  minutes,  stirring  occasionally  to  pre- 
vent burning.  Just  as  you  are  ready  to  serve  it,  stir  in  one  teaspoon- 


57 

ful  of  curry,  which,  with  the  other  seasonings,  will  cost  two  cents. 
Drain  the  rice  in  a  colander,  shake  it  into  a  dish,  and  send  it  to  the 
table  with  the  tripe.  The  dinner  will  cost  twenty-seven  cents,  and  be 
very  satisfactory. 

Liver  Polenta. — Boil  one  pound  of  yellow  Indian  Meal,  (cost  four 
cents,)  for  half  an  hour,  in  two  quarts  of  boiling  water  with  one  ounce 
of  drippings,  (cost  one  cent, )  stirring  it  occasionally  to  prevent  burning; 
meantime  fry  in  one  ounce  of  drippings,  (cost  one  cent,)  a  sheep's  or 
pig's  haslet,  (cost  five  cents,)  well  washed  and  sliced;  when  the  meal 
has  boiled  half  an  hour,  put  it  into  a  greased  baking  dish  with  the  has- 
let,  seasoning  each  layer  with  salt  and  pepper;  bake  it  fog.  twenty 
minutes  in  a  quick  oven,  and  serve  it  hot. 

The  dish,  which  is  palatable  and  nutritious,  costs  less  than  twelve 
cents. 

A  la  Mode  Beef. — This  is  one  of  the  compound  dishes  which  are 
mentioned  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  and  will  serve  as  a  basis 
for  at  least  two  good  dinners.  Unless  there  is  an  unusual  rise  in  the 
price  of  meat,  you  can  buy  the  round  of  beef  for  a  shilling  a  pound  at 
the  market  or  provision  house ;  in  the  middle  of  the  week  choose  four 
pounds  in  a  solid,  thick  piece;  cut  half  a  pound  of  fat  pork,  (cost  six 
cents,)  into  strips  half  an  inch  square ;  thrust  the  steel  you  use  for  sharp- 
ening knives  into  the  meat,  in  the  direction  of  the  grain,  and  put  the 
strips  of  pork  into  the  holes  you  make;  cut  up  five  cents'  worth  of  car- 
rot, turnips,  onion,  and  parsley,  lay  them  in  the  bottom  of  an  earthen 
crock  or  deep  bowl,  with  two  tablespoonfuls  of  salt,  and  one  teaspoon- 
ful  of  pepper;  put  the  beef  on  them,  and  pour  over  it  one  pint  of  vine- 
gar, and  enough  water  to  just  cover  the  meat;  the  vinegar  and  season- 
ing will  cost  five  cents. 

Turn  a  plate  over  the  meat,  and  put  a  clean  stone  on  it  to  keep  the 
meat  under  the  pickle ;  turn  the  meat  every  day,  keeping  it  in  a  cool 
place. 

Sunday  morning,  as  soon  as  breakfast  is  over,  put  the  meat,  pickle, 
and  vegetables,  over  the  fire  in  a  clean  pot,  and  let  them  stew,  uncov- 
ered, until  the  pickle  is  all  evaporated  and  the  meat  is  nicely  browned; 
then  sprinkle  over  it  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour,  and  let  that  brown, 
turning  the  meat  over  occasionally;  then  add  enough  boiling  water  to 
cover  the  meat,  put  on  the  pot  cover,  and  set  it  where  it  will  simmer 
gently  for  at  least  three  hours.  During  the  last  half  hour  boil  one 


58 

quart  of  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  in  plenty  of  boiling  water  and  salt. 
When  the  meat  is  done  take  it  upon  a  platter,  strain  the  gravy  over  it, 
and  serve  it  hot  with  the  boiled  potatoes.  About  half  of  it  will  be 
enough  for  dinner,  and  will  cost,  with  the  potatoes,  thirty-five  cents. 

Meat  Patties.— Chop  the  remainder  of  the  A  la  mode  BEEF;  make  a 
suet  crust,  (cost  five  cents,)  as  directed  for  SUET  DUMPLINGS,  roll  it 
out  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  cut  it  out  with  a  round  tin  cutter,  lay  a  table- 
spoonful  of  the  mince-meat  on  each  round,  wet  the  edges  of  the  crust, 
and  fold  it  over  in  the  shape  of  an  old-fashioned  turn-over;  pinch  the 
edges  together,  put  the  patties  on  a  floured  baking-pan,  and  bake  them 
about  half  an  hour  in  a  moderate  oven.  When  you  put  them  in  the 
oven,  put  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  to  boil  in  boiling 
water  and  salt.  When  both  potatoes  and  patties  are  done  serve  them 
together;  the  dinner  will  cost  about  thirty  cents. 

Boiled  Mutton.— The  shoulder  of  mutton  can  be  bought  at  the  mar- 
ket  for  about  six  cents  a  pound.  Choose  one  weighing  not  over  four 
pounds,  (cost  twenty -four  cents,)  wipe  it  with  a  clean,  damp  cloth,  put 
it  into  three  quarts  of,  boiling  water  with  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  one 
cents'  worth  of  soup  greens,  a  level  teaspoonful  of  pepper,  and  boil  it 
gently  fifteen  minutes  for  each  pound,  skimming  it  as  often  as  any  scum 
rises.  About  one  hour  before  it  is  done  pare  one  quart  of  turnips, 
cut  them  in  quarters,  and  boil  them  with  the  mutton.  Wash  one  quart 
of  potatoes,  pare  off  a  ring  from  each,  and  boil  them  in  boiling  water. 
Serve  them  with  the  mutton  and  turnips,  saving  the  broth  from  the 
mutton  for  BREAD  BROTH  for  breakfast.  The  potatoes  and  turnips 
will  cost  five  cents,  and  the  proportionate  cost  of  the  mutton  will  be 
twelve  cents;  so  the  dinner  will  cost  seventeen  cents.  The  remains  of 
the  mutton  must  be  saved  for  MUTTON  rechauffe^  as  the  basis  of  the 
next  day's  dinner. 

Mutton  rechauffefe. — Prepare  and  boil  one  quart  of  potatoes,  (cost 
three  cents;)  slice  the  best  part  of  the  mutton  remaining  from  the  day 
before,  saving  all  the  scraps  and  trimmings,  dip  each  slice  in  a  beaten 
egg,  or  a  little  milk,  (cost  one  cent,)  roll  it  in  bread  crumbs,  dried  and 
sifted,  as  directed  on  page  25 ,  and  fry  them  in  sweet  drippings.  Serve 
the  meat  and  potatoes  together;  they  will  cost  about  fifteen  cents. 

Mutton  KromeskyS.— Cut  cold  mutton  in  half  inch  dice;  chop  one 
ounce  of  onion,  and  fry  it  pale  yellow,  in  one  ounce  of  sweet  drippings, 
(cost  one  cent;)  add  one  ounce  of  flour,  and  stir  until  smooth;  add  half 


59 

a  pint  of  water,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  chopped  parsley,  one  level  lea- 
spoonful  of  salt,  one  level  saltspoonful  of  white  pepper,  half  a  saltspoon- 
ful  of  powdered  herbs,  as  much  cayenne  as  can  be  taken  up  on  the 
point  of  a  very  small  penknife  blade,  and  the  chopped  meat;  the  sea- 
sonings will  cost  about  one  cent;  stir  until  scalding  hot,  add  the  yolk 
of  one  raw  egg,  (cost  one  cent,)  cook  for  two  minutes,  stirring  fre-  * 
quently;  and  turn  out  to  cool  on  a  flat  dish,  slightly  oiled,  or  buttered, 
to  prevent  sticking,  spreading  the  minced  meat  about  an  inch  thick; 
set  away  to  cool  while  the  batter  is  being  made. 

Plain  Prying  Batter. — Mi*  quarter  of  a  pound  of  flour,  (cost  one 
cent,)  with  the  yolks  of  two  raw  eggs,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  level  salt- 
spoonful  of  salt,  half  a  saltspoonful  of  pepper,  quarter  of  a  saltspoon- 
ful of  grated  nutmeg,  one  tablespoonful  of  salad  oil,  (which  is  used  to 
make  the  batter  crisp,)  and  one  cup  of  water,  more  or  less,  as  the  flour 
will  take  it  up;  the  batter  should  be  stiff  enough  to  hold  the  drops 
from  the  spoon  in  shape  when  they  are  let  fall  upon  it ;  now  beat  the 
whites  of  the  two  eggs  to  a  stiff  broth,  beginning  slowly,  and  increas- 
ing the  speed  until  you  are  beating  as  fast  as  you  can ;  the  froth  will 
surely  come;  then  stir  it  lightly  into  the  batter;  heat  the  dish  contain- 
ing the  meat  a  moment,  to  loosen  it,  and  turn  it  out  on  the  table,  just 
dusted  with  powdered  crackers;  cut  it  in  strips  an  inch  wide  and  two 
inches  long,  roll  them  lightly  under  the  palm  of  the  hand,  in  the  shape 
of  corks,  dip  them  in  the  batter,  and  fry  them  golden  brown  in  smok- 
ing hot  fat.  Serve  them  on  a  neatly  folded  napkin.  They  make  a 
delicious  dish,  really  worth  all  the  care  taken  in  preparing  them.  The 
seasoning,  crackers,  and  what  fat  is  used  in  frying,  will  not  cost  over 
four  cents,  for  you  must  strain  the  fat,  and  save  it  after  you  fry  your 
KROMESKYS  ;  if  you  use  either  bread  or  potatoes  wtih  them,  the  dinner 
will  not  cost  over  twenty  cents. 

Epigramni9  Of  Lamb. — This  is  one  of  my  favorite  dishes,  which  I 
learned  to  make  the  first  winter  I  had  a  Cooking  School,  and  I  believe 
that  nearly  every  one  who  tries  it  will  share  my  opinion  of  it.  Choose 
as  tender  a  two-pound  breast  of  mutton  as  you  can  buy  for  about  six 
cents  a  pound,  boil  it  in  two  quarts  of  water  about  three  quarters  of  an 
hour,  or  until  you  can  easily  pull  out  the  bones,  taking  care  to  put  it 
into  boiling  water,  with  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and  skim  it  as  often  as 
any  scum  rises;  when  it  is  done,  strain  and  save  the  pot-liquor  for 
BREAD  or  RICE  BROTH,  pull  out  the  bones  from  the  breast  of  mutton, 


6o 

lay  it  between  two  platters,  and  put  a  flat  iron  on  it  until  it  is  cold. 
Then  cut  it  in  triangular  pieces,  taking  care  not  to  waste  a  scrap,  roll 
the  pieces  in  a  beaten  egg,  (cost  one  cent,)  and  dried  bread  crumbs 
prepared  as  directed  on  page  25,  and  fry  them  as  you  would  the 
KROMESKYS  in  the  previous  receipt. 

Use  the  pot-liquor  in  which  it  was  boiled,  with  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  rice,  for  the  next  morning's  breakfast.  The  cost  of  both  dishes  will 
not  exceed  twenty  cents. 

Roast  Veal. — The  shoulder  of  veal  can  usually  be  bought  at  the  mar- 
ket for  eight  cents  a  pound.  Choose  a  fresh  one  weighing  about  seven 
pounds,  and  costing  about  sixty  cents;  from  this  we  shall  make  three 
dishes,  namely:  ROAST  VEAL,  BLANQUETTE  of  VEAL,  and  VEAL  AND 
HAM  PATTIES.  Therefore  the  proportionate  cost  for  the  ROAST  VEAL 
will  be  twenty  cents.  Have  the  butcher  chop  off  the  fore  leg  quite 
close  up  to  the  shoulder,  and  cut  it  in  neat  slices  about  one  inch  thick; 
these  you  must  sprinkle  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  keep  in  a  cool  place, 
together  with  the  blade  bone,  until  the  next  day,  for  the  BLANQUETTE. 
Have  the  shoulder  boned,  saving  the  blade;  stuff  it  with  the  following 
forcemeat. 

Forcemeat  for  Veal  Or  Poultrj. — Steep  four  ounces  of  dry  bread, 
(cost  two  cents,)  in  warm  water,  and  wring  it  dry  in  a  clean  towel; 
chop  one  cent's  worth  of  onion  and  fry  it  light  yellow  in  one  cent's 
worth  of  drippings,  add  the  bread  to  it,  season  it  with  one  level  tea- 
spoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  level  teaspoonful  each  of  pepper  and  pow- 
dered thyme,  or  mixed  spice,  and  stir  these  ingredients  over  the  fire 
until  they  are  scalding  hot;  then  stir  in  one  egg,  and  use  the  stuffing; 
the  cost  will  be  about  five  cents. 

After  stuffing  the  shoulder,  lay  it  in  a  dripping  pan  with  one  cent's 
worth  of  soup  greens,  and  put  it  in  a  hot  oven  to  brown  it  quickly; 
when  it  is  brown  take  it  out  of  the  oven,  season  with  salt  and  pepper, 
baste  it  with  a  little  sweet  drippings,  return  it  to  the  oven,  and  bake  it 
thoroughly  fifteen  minutes  to  each  pound.  Meantime  wash  one  quart 
of  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents,)  pare  a  ring  off  each  one,  and  boil  them 
in  plenty  of  boiling  water  and  salt.  When  the  vealis  done  take  it  up 
on  ii  hot  dish,  pour  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water  in  the  dripping  pan, 
scrape  it  well,  and  strain  the  contents;  set  this  gravy  again  over  the 
fire  to  boil  while  you  mix  a  tablespoonful  of  flour,  in  half  a  cup  of  cold 


6i 

water;  stir  this  smoothly  into  the  gravy,  boil  it  for  five  minutes,  and 
serve  it  with  the  roast  veal  and  boiled  potatoes. 

Be  careful  to  save  all  that  remains  from  the  dinner,  towards  making 
the, VEAL  AND  HAM  PATTIES;  the  proportionate  cost  will  be  about 
thirty  cents. 

Blanquetts  Of  Veal. — Put  ^e  pieces  of  veal  saved  for  this  dish 
into  enough  cold  water  to  cover  them,  together  with  a  tablespoonful  of 
salt  and  one  cent's  worth  of  soup  greens,  the  onion  being  stuck  with 
ten  cloves;  skim  occasionally  whenever  any  scum  rises,  and  simmer 
until  the  meat  is  tender,  which  will  be  in  half  or  three  quarters  of  an 
hour;  then  take  up  the  meat  in  a  colander,  and  run  some  cold  water 
over  it  from  the  faucet;  strain  the  pot-liquor,  and  let  it  boil  again;  mix 
together  over  the  fire  one  tablespoonful  of  butter,  (cost  two  cents,)  and 
two  of  flour;  when  they  are  smooth  add  one  quart  of  the  boiling  broUi 
to  them,  season  with  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  quarter  of  a  level  teaspoonful 
of  white  pepper,  and  quarter  of  a  nutmeg  grated;  mix  the  yolks  of  two 
eggs,  (cost  two  cents,)  with  about  a  cupful  of  the  broth,  and  stir  them 
into  the  rest;  then  put  in  the  veal,  and  heat  and  serve  it,  with  a  quart 
of  boiled  potatoes,  (cost  three  cents.)  The  dinner  will  cost  about 
thirty  cents. 

Veal  and  Ham  Patties.— Chop  the  remains  of  the  ROAST  VEAL 
(cost  twenty  cents,)  with  quarter  of  a  pound  of  lean  ham,  (cost  four 
cents,)  w*eigh  both,  and  mix  with  them  an  equal  weight  of  dried  bread, 
soaked  in  warm  water,  and  wrung  dry  in  a  clean  towel;  season  with 
salt,  pepper,  and  powdered  herbs,  or  SPICE  SALT  to  taste,  moisten 
with  any.  cold  gravy  you  have  saved  from  the  ROAST  VEAL,  and  fill  it 
into  little  turnovers,  or  patty.pans  lined  with  a  suet  crust,  made  as  di« 
rected  on  page  53,  for  SUET  DUMPLINGS,  (cost  five  cents.) 
-  The  dinner  will  cost  r.bout  thirty  cents. 


62 


CHAPTER  IX. 
CHEAP  PUDDINGS,  PIES,  AND  CAKES. 

GOOD  puddings  are  nutritious  and  wholesome,  and  an  excellent  va- 
riety can  be  made  at  a  comparatively  small  expense.  Pies,  as  they  are 
usually  made,  with  greasy  and  indigestible  pastry,  are  positively  un- 
healthy; if  they  are  made  ivith  a  plain  bottom  crust,  and  abundantly 
filled  with  ripe  fresh  or  dried  fruit,  they  are  not  so  objectionable.  Rich 
cake  is  always  an  extravagance,  but  some  of  the  plainer  kinds  are  pleas- 
ant  additions  to  lunch  and  supper;  we  subjoin  a  few  good  receipts. 

Swiss  Pudding. — Sift  together  half  a  pound  of  flour,  (cost  two 
cents,)  one  heaping  teaspoonful  of  baking  powder,  and  one  of  salt;  rub 
together  four  ounces  of  granulated  sugar,  (cost  three  cents,)  and  two 
ounces  of  butter,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  when  they  are  well  mixed,  so  as 
to  be  granular  but  not  creamy,  add  the  flour  gradually  until  all  is  used; 
make  a  hollow  in  the  middle  of  the  flour,  put  into  it  one  egg,  half  a 
teaspoonful  of  lemon  flavoring,  and  half  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost  of  these 
ingredients  four  cents;)  mix  to  a  smooth  paste,  put  into  a  well  buttered 
and  floured  mould,  and  set  this  into  a  large  pot  with  boiling  water 
enough  to  come  two-thirds  up  the  side  of  the  mould;  steam  the  pud- 
ding three  quarters  of  an  hour,  or  until  you  can  run  a  broom  splint  into 
it  without  finding  the  pudding  stick  to  the  splint.  Turn  the  pudding 
out  of  the  mould,  and  send  it  to  the  table  with  the  following  sauce: 

Cream  Sauce. — Stir  together  over  the  fire  one  ounce  each  of  flour 
and  butter,  (cost  two  cents;)  as  soon  as  they  are  smooth  pour  into  them 
half  a  pint  of  boiling  milk,  (cost  two  cents,)  add  two  ounces  of  sugar 
and  half  a  teaspoonful  of  lemon  flavoring,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  use 
with  the  pudding  as  soon  as  it  boils  up.  The  sauce  and  pudding  will 
cost  about  twenty  cents. 

College  Puddings. — M*x  well  together  eight  ounces  of  dried  and  sift- 
ed bread  crumbs,  (cost  three  cents, )  two  ounces  of  very  finely  chopped 
suet,  (cost  two  cents,)  two  ounces  of  currants,  two  eggs,  and  two  ounces 
of  sugar,  (cost  together  five  cents,)  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  three  grates 


63 

of  nutmeg,  and  sufficient  milk  to  moisten,  about  one  cents'  worth; 
make  the  puddings  up  in  little  round  balls,  roll  them  first  in  sifted 
bread  crumbs;  next  dip  them  in  beaten  egg,  and  then  roll  them  again  in 
bread  crumbs;  fry  them  in  plenty  of  hot  fat,  and  serve  them  with  sugar 
dusted  over  them.  Five  cents  will  cover  the  cost  of  frying  them ;  and 
a  nice  dishful  will  cost  you  about  eighteen  cents. 

Cream  RicO  Pudding. — Wash  four  ounces  of  rice,  (cost  three 
cents,)  through  two  waters,  put  it  into  a  baking  dish  with  three  ounces 
of  sugar,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  flavoring,  (cost  three  cents,)  pour  in  one 
quart  and  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  and  put  it  into  a  moder- 
ate oven  to  bake  an  hour  and  a  half,  or  until  it  is  of  a  creamy  consist- 
ency. This  pudding  is  very,  delicate  and  wholesome,  and  costs  fifteen 
cents.  ' 

Half-pay  Pudding. — Carefully  wash  and  dry  a  quarter  of  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  Zante  currants,  (cost  three  cents,)  stone  the  same 
quantity  of  raisins,  (cost  three  cents,)  and  chop  an  equal  amount  of 
suet,  (cost  two  cents;)  mix  them  with  eight  ounces  of  stale  bread,  (cost 
three  cents,)  three  tablespoonfuls  of  molasses,  half  a  pint  of  milk,  and 
a  teaspoonful  each  of  spice,  salt,  and  baking  powder,  (cost  four  cents.) 
Put  these  ingredients  into  a  mould  which  has  been  well  buttered  and 
floured,  and  steam  them  about  three  hours.  If  by  any  mischance  the 
top  of  the  pudding  is  watery,  you  can  remedy  it  by  putting  it  into  a  hot 
oven  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  to  brown.  When  you  are  ready  to  use 
it,  turn  it  from  the  mould  and  send  it  to  the  table  with  some  CREAM 
SAUCE.  This  is  an  excellent  plum  pudding,  and  costs  only  about 
twenty  cents,  including  sauce. 

Bread  Pudding. — Slice  a  five  cent  loaf  of  bread,  spread  it  lightly 
with  two  cents'  worth  of  butter,  and  lay  it  in  a  baking  dish;  break  one 
egg,  (cost  one  cent,)  into  a  bowl,  add  to  it  two  ounces  each  of  flour  and 
sugar,  (cost  two  cents,)  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost 
four  cents;)  mix,  flavor  to  taste,  pour  over  the  bread,  and  bake  the  pud- 
ding about  half  an  hour  in  a  quick  oven.  It  will  be  very  nice,  and  cost 
about  fifteen  cents. 

Cup  Custards. — Boil  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost  four  cents,)  with  two 
ounces  of  sugar  and  half  the  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon,  (cost  three  cents;) 
meantime  beat  four  eggs,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  strain  the  milk  into 
them;  mix  thoroughly,  strain  again,  and  pour  into  cups;  set  these  in  a 
baking  pan  containing  hot  water  enough  to  reach  half  way  up  the  sides 


64 

of  the  cups,  and  either  set  the  pan  over  the  fire  until  the  custards  are 
firm,  or  bake  them  in  the  oven ;  they  will  set  in  twelve  or  fifteen  min- 
utes. The  cost  will  be  about  twelve  cents. 

Fmit  Dumpling, — Make  *  nice  suet  crust,  as  directed  for  SUET 
DUMPLINGS  on  page  53,  roll  it  out  about  quarter  of  an  inch  thick, 
spread  it  with  ten  cents'  *  worth  of  ripe  fruit,  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  sugar,  (cost  three  cents,)  and. a  teaspoonful  of  mixed  spice;  roll  it 
up,  tie  it  in,  a  cloth  wet  with  scalding  water,  and  well  floured  next  the 
dumpling,  and  boil  it  in  a  large  kettle  half  full  of  boiling  water  for  two 
hours,  taking  care  that  the  pot  does  not  stop  boiling,  or  remain  un- 
covered, or  the  dumpling  will  be  heavy. 

When  it  is  done  take  it  from  the  pot,  unroll  it  from  the  cloth,  and 
serve  it  with  a  few  cents'  worth  of  molasses;  it  will  cost  about  twenty 
cents. 

Apple  EumplingS. — Pare  and  core  five  cents'  worth  of  apples, 
keeping  them  whole ;  make  a  suet  crust  as  directed  for  SUET  DUMP- 
LINGS on  page  53,  roll  it  out,  and  cut  it  in  as  many  squares  as  you 
have  apples;  sprinkle  a  little  spice  on  the  apples,  fold  the  corners  of  the 
pieces  of  paste  up  over  them,  pinch  them  together,  tie  each  one  in  a 
floured  cloth,  and  boil  for  one  hour  as  directed  in  the  previous  receipt; 
then  take  them  from  the  pudding  cloths,  and  serve  them  with  five 
cents'  worth  of  butter  and  sugar;  they  can  be  made  for  about  fifteen 
cents. 

Baked  Apple  Dumplings, — Make  a  paste  of  half  a  pound  of  flour, 
(cost  two  cents,)  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  (cost  eight  cents,) 
and  enough  cold  water  to  wet  it  up,  about  half  a  pint;  roll  it  out  very 
thin  and  fold  it  four  times;  repeat  this  process  twice ;  then  put  the  paste 
in  a  coolplace  for  five  minutes,  and  roll  and  fold  again;  do  this  three 
times,  and  then  cut  the  paste  in  squares,  and  lay  on  each,  an  apple  pre- 
pared as  above;  fold  the  paste  over  the  apples,  turn  them  bottom  up 
on  a  baking  sheet,  brush  them  with  a  well  beaten  egg,  (cost  one 
cent,)  sift  over  them  an  ounce  of  powdered  sugar,  (cost  one  cent,)  and 
put  them  in  a  moderate  oven  to  bake  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour. 
They  will  cost  about  eighteen  cents,  and  be  very  nice. 

Lemon  Dumplings. — Sift  eight  ounces  of  dried  bread  crumbs,  (cost 
three  cents,)  mix  them  with  the  same  quantity  of  very  finely  chopped 
suet,  (cost  four  cents,-)  pare  off  the  thin  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon,  (cost 
two  cents,)  chop  it  very  fine,  and  add  it  with  the  juice  to  the  bread  and 


65 

suet;  mix  in  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  (cost  six  cents,)  one  egg,  (cost  one 
cent,)  and  enough  milk  to  make  a  stiff  paste,  about  half  a  pint,  (cost 
two  cents;)  divide  the  paste  into  six  equal  balls,  tie  them  in  a  floured 
cloth  as  directed  for  BOILED  APPLE  DUMPLINGS,  and  boil  them  an 
hour.  Serve  them  with  five  cents'  worth  of  butter  and  sugar,  or  syrup. 
They  will  cost  about  twenty-three  cents,  and  are  really  delicious. 

Bice  Croquettes^ — Boil  half  a  pound  of  well  washed  rice,  (cost  five 
cents,)  in  one  quart  of  cold  water,  with  a  level  tablespoonful  of  salt, 
half  a  pint  of  milk,  (cost  two  cents,)  half  the  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon,  or 
two  inches  of  stick  cinnamon,  and  two  ounces  of  sugar,  (cost  two  cents,) 
for  half  an  hour,  after  it  begins  to  boil,  stirring  it  occasionally  to  pre- 
vent burning;  take  it  from  the  fire,  stir  in  one  at  a  time,  the  yolks  of 
three  eggs,  (cost  three  cents,)  and  return  to  the  fire  for  ten  minutes  to 
set  the  egg;  then  spread  the  rice  on  an  oiled  platter,  laying  it  about 
an  inch  thick,  and  let  it  get  cool  enough  to  handle.  When  it  is  cool 
enough  turn  it  out  of  the  platter  upon  some  cracker  dust  spread  on  the 
table,  cut  it  in  strips  one  inch  wide  and  three  inches  long,  roll  them  in- 
to the  shape  of  corks,  dip  them  first  in  beaten  egg,  then  in  cracker- 
dust,  and  fry  them  golden  brown  in  plenty  of  smoking  hot  fat; 
lay  them  on  a  napkin  for  a  moment  to  free  them  from  grease,  put  them 
on  a  dish,  dust  a  little  powdered  sugar  over  them,  and  serve  them. 
They  will  cost,  including  the  last  mentioned  ingredients,  about  twenty 
cents. 

Fruit  Tarts, — Stew  ten  cents  worth  of  fruit  and  four  ounces  of  sugar 
together;  make  some  pastry  according  to  the  directions  in  the  receipt 
for  BAKED  APPLE  DUMPLINGS;  line  deep  pie-plates  with  the  paste, 
building  up  a  rim  of  paste  around  each ;  fill  them  with  the  stewed  fruit, 
and  bake  them  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  a  moderate  oven; 
two  good  sized  tarts  can  be  made  for  twenty-five  cents;  and  the  fruit 
can  be  varied  to  suit  the  season  of  the  year,  and  the  taste  of  the  eaters. 

Bice  Cakes. — Sift  together  six  ounces  each  of  rice  and  wheat  flour, 
(cost  about  seven  cents,)  rub  into  them  four  ounces  of  lard  or  meat  drip- 
pings, (cost  four  cents,)  four  eggs,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  sufftcjent  milk 
to  make  a  thick  cake-batter;  beat  it  thoroughly,  pour  it  into  a  greas- 
ed cake-pan,  and  bake  it  one  hour.  A  good  sized  cake  will  cost  about 
fifteen  cents. 

Bock  Cakes. — Mix  well  together  four  ounces  each  of  butter  and  su- 
gar,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  add  four  ounces  of  well  washed  currants,  (cost 


66 

three  cents,)  one  pound  of  flour,  (cost  four  cents,)  and  three  eggs,  (cost 
three  cents;)  beat  all  these  ingredients  thoroughly,  roll  them  into  little 
balls,  or  rocks,  and  bake  them  on  a  buttered  baking  pan.  A  good  sup- 
ply will  cost  about  twenty. two  cents. 

Caraway  Cake. — Beat  to  a  cream  four  ounces  each  of  butter  and 
sugar,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  stir  in  two  eggs,  (cost  two  cents,)  one  gill  of 
milk,  (cost  one  cent,)  one  pound  of  sifted  flour,  (cost  four  cents,)  and 
five  cents'  worth  of  caraway  seed ;  bake  the  cake  for  two  hours  in  a 
deep  earthen  dish,  testing  it  with  a  clean  broom  splint  to  be  sure  it  is 
done  before  you  take  it  from  the  oven.  It  will  cost  about  twenty-four 
cents. 

Soft  Gingerbread.— Melt  one  ounce  of  butter,  (cost  two  cents,)  add 
it  to  half  a  pint  of  molasses,  (cost  five  cents,)  with  one  level  teaspoonful 
each  of  ground  cloves,  cinnamon,  and  ginger,  (cost  one  cent;)  dissolve 
one  level  teaspoonful  of  soda  in  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  mix  this 
with  the  molasses,  and  lightly  stir  in  half  a  pound  of  sifted  flour  (cost 
two  cents;)  line  a  cake-pan  with  buttered  paper,  pour  in  the  batter, 
which  will  be  very  thin,  and  bake  it  about  half  an  hour,  or  until  you 
can  run  a  broom-splint  into  it,  and  withdraw  it  clean.  The  cake,  which 
will  be  a  good  size,  will  cost  abont  ten  cents. 

Sweet  BlSCUltS.— Rub  four  ounces  of  butter,  (cost  eight  cents,)  into 
one  pound  of  flour,  (cost  four  cents;)  dissolve  four  ounces  of  sugar,  (cost 
three  cents,)  in  half  a  pint  of  warm  milk,  (cost  two  cents.)  pour  this  into 
the  flour,  mixing  it  smoothly;  then  dissolve  half  a  level  teaspoonful  of 
cream  of  tartar  in  one  gill  of  cold  water,  and  stir  it  into  the  above  in- 
gredients. When  they  are  thoroughly  mixed,  roll  out  the  paste  about 
quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  cut  it  out  in  small  round  cakes,  and  bake  them 
golden  brown,  at  once,  in  a  quick  oven.  A  good  supply  will  cost  about 
seventeen  cents. 


67 


CHAPTER   X. 
DESSERT    DISHES. 

THE  previous  chapter  was  devoted  to  cheap  and  good  sweet  dishes 
of  the  kind  usually  called  dessert  in  this  country;  the  dessert  proper, 
however,  consists  of  fruit,  creams,  ices,  small  and  delicate  cakes,  fancy 
crackers,  and  confectionery.  We  give  here  directions  for  making  some 
of  these  enjoyable  delicacies  at  a  very  moderate  rate. 

It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  prices  quoted  are  those 
which  prevail  when  the  articles  specified  are  in  season,  and  conse- 
quently abundant  and  cheap.  As  apples  are  very  plentiful,  and  gen- 
erally cheap,  we  shall  begin  with  dishes  made  from  them. 

Appl©  Black  Caps. — Pare  a  quart  of  nice  apples,  core  them  without 
breaking,  set  them  side  by  side  in  a  baking  dish  that  will  just  hold 
them,  fill  the  centres  with  sugar,  place  two  cloves  in  the  top  of  each 
one,  grate  over  them  the  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon  or  orange,  and  put 
them  into  a  moderate  oven  only  until  they  are  tender;  do  not  let 
them  break  apart.  As  soon  as  they  are  tender  take  them  from  the 
oven,  heat  a  fire  shovel  red  hot  and  hold  it  over  them,  near  enough  to 
blacken  their  tops.  Serve  either  hot  or  cold. 

A  porcelain-lined  baking  dish,  or  a  gratin  pan,  is  the  best  dish  for 
cooking  the  black-caps  in,  because  either  can  be  set  upon  a  clean  plate 
and  sent  to  the  table ;  if  the  apples  have  to  be  removed  from  the  dish 
in  which  they  were  baked  they  may  be  broken,  and  then  the  appear- 
ance of  the  dish  will  be  spoiled. 

The  flavor  of  the  dish  may  be  changed  by  varying  the  spice,  and  by 
occasionally  using  a  little  wine  or  brandy  with  the  sugar.  The  cost 
of  a  dish  large  enough  for  half  a  dozen  persons  will  be  covered  by  ten 
cents,  unless  it  is  made  when  apples  are  scarce  and  dear. 

Apple  SHOW. — Make  this  dish  when  eggs  are  cheap.  Pare,  and 
core  a  quart  of  apples,  (cost  five  cents,)  stew  them  to  a  pulp  with  just 
water  enough  to  moisten  them,  rub  them  through  a  seive,  and  sweeten 
them  to  taste.  Beat  the  whites  of  six  eggs,  (cost  six  cents,)  with  two 


68 

tablespoonfuls  of  powdered  sugar,  to  a  stiff  froth  ;  beat  the  apple-pulp 
to  a  froth  ;  mix  the  egg  and  apple  together  very  lightly,  turning  the 
bowl  of  the  spoon  over  and  over  instead  of  stirring  it  around  ;  then 
beat  them  with  an  egg  whisk  until  they  look  like  snow.  Pile  the 
snow  high  in  the  centre  of  a  dish,  putting  it  in  by  the  tablespoonful, 
and  taking  care  not  to  break  it  down  ;  in  the  top  of  the  heap  of  snow 
put  a  fresh  flower  or  a  green  sprig;  and  if  you  have  any  currant  jelly, 
lay  a  few  bits  around  the  base.  The  effect  of  the  dish  is  very  pretty, 
and  it  can  be  made  for  about  fifteen  cents. 

Apple  Cakes. — Pare,  core,  and  slice  a  quart  of  apples,  (price  five 
cents,)  stew  them  with  half  their  weight  in  sugar,  (about  one  pound, 
cost  about  twelve  cents,)  the  grated  rind  and  juice  of  a  lemon,  (cost 
two  cents,)  one  ounce  of  batter,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  a  very  little 
grated  nutmeg.  When  they  are  tender  beat  them  with  an  egg 
whisk  until  they  are  light,  drop  them  by  the  dessert  -  spoonful  on 
buttered  paper  laid  on  a  baking  sheet,  and  bake  them  in  a  cool 
oven  until  they  are  firm,  which  will  be  in  about  fifteen  minutes.1 
When  they  are  cool  put  them  in  a  tin  box  until  wanted  for  use.  The 
cost  will  be  about  twenty  cents. 

Cheny  Cheese. — Put  into  a  stone  jar  a  pound  of  sound,  ripe  cher- 
ries, with  the  stones  removed,  (cost  about  ten  cents;)  cover  the  jar 
closely,  set  it  in  a  saucepan  half  full  of  boiling  water,  and  simmer  it 
gently  until  the  cherries  are  tender;  then  take  up  the  fruit,  weigh  it, 
put  it  into  a  preserving  kettle  with  half  a  pound  of  finely  sifted  sugar, 
(cost  about  eight  cents),  to  every  pound  of  fruit;  add  a  dozen  cherry 
kernels  with  the  skins  removed  by  scalding,  and  rubbing  m  a  clean 
cloth,  put  the  kettle  over  a  slow  fire,  and  boil,  stirring  occasionally, 
until  the  fruit  is  quite  dry  and  clear.  Meantime  rinse  out  some 
shallow  jars  with  brandy,  and  when  the  fruit  is  done  put  it  into 
them,  pressing  it  down  tightly;  pour  a  very  little  brandy  over 
the  top,  lay  a  little  paper  on  each, "then  fit  on  the  covers  of  the 
jars  closely,  and  keep  in  a  dry,  cool  place.  The  above  quantity  will 
cost  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Candied  Cherries. — Choose  a  pound  of  perfectly  sound,  ripe  cherries, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  with  the  stalks  and  an  occasional  leaf  attached,  wipe 
them  with  a  clean,  dry,  soft  cloth;  dip  the  leaves  and  stems,  but  not 
the  fruit,  into  boiling  vinegar,  and  set  them  with  the  cherries  upward, 
in  a  card-board  perforated  with  holes  to  admit  the  stems,  until  the 


69 

* 

vinegar  dries.     Meantime  boil  n.  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  (cost  about  fifteen 

cents),  with  a  teaspoonful  of  cold  water,  using  a  thick  porcelain-lined 
saucepan  or  copper  sugar  boiler;  skim  until  perfectly  clear,  and  test  in 
the  following  way  :  Dip  the  thumb  and  forefinger  into  cold  water  and 
then  quickly  into  the  boiling  sugar,  withdrawing  it  instantly;  press  the 
fingers  together,  and  then  draw  them  apart;  if  the  sugar  forms  a  little 
thread  between  them  it  is  ready  to  use,  if  it  does  not,  boil  a  few 
minutes  longer  and  test  again.  When  it  is  ready  dip  the  leaves  and 
branches  into  it,  and  dry  them  in  the  card  board  frame  as  directed 
above.  Keep  the  sugar  at  the  boiling  point,  and  as  soon  as  it  forms  a 
clear  brittle  thread  between  the  fingers,  when  tested  as  above,  dip  the 
entire  fruit  into  it,  moving  the  cherries  around  so  that  the  sugar  com- 
pletely covers  them,  and  dry  them,  placed  as  above  in  the  card  board 
frame,  in  the  mouth  of  a  cool  oven. 

Currant  Salad. — Remove  the  stems  from  half  a  pound  each  of  red 
and  white  currants,  (cost  ten  cents,)  and  pile  them  in  regular  layers 
high  in  the  centre  of  a  shallow  glass  dish,  sifting  a  little  powdered 
sugar  between  each  layer;  the  sugar  will  cost  two  or  three  cents.  A 
gill  of  cream,  (cost  five  cents,)  may  be  poured  over  the  top,  if  desired. 
The  dish  should  be  tastefully  ornamented  with  green  leaves,  and  the 
salad  kept  very  cool  until  wanted  for  use.  The  cost  of  a  nice  dishful 
will  be  about  eighteen  cents. 

Iced  Currants,— Beat  the  white  of  one  egg,  (cost  one  cent,)  to  a  stiff 
froth,  mix  it  with,  three  dessertspoonfuls  of  cold  water,  dip  into  it 
carefully  some  perfect  bunches  of  ripe  red  and  white  currants,  which 
can  be  bought  in  season  for  ten  cents  a  pound;  drain  each  bunch  a 
moment  and  then  dust  it  well  with  powdered  sugar,  lay  each  bunch 
carefully  upon  a  large  sheet  of  white  paper,  so  that  there  is  plenty  of 
room  between  the  bunches,  and  set  them  in  a  cool,  airy  place  for  five 
hours.  The  sugar  will  partly  crystalize  upon  the  fruit,  and  the  effect 
will  be  very  pretty.  The  cost  of  a  good  sized  dish  will  be  about  fifteen 
cents. 

Compote  Of  Damsons.— Wipe  one  quart  of  sound,  ripe  damsons, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  with  a  clean,  dry  cloth,  drop  them,  one  by  one  into 
the  following  syrup:  make  a  syrup  by  melting  one  pound  of  loaf  sugar 
(cost  fifteen  cents,)  with  one  pint  of  water,  stir  in  the  white  of  an  egg, 
(cost  one  cent,)  and  boil  the  syrup  fifteen  minutes,  skimming  it  clear. 
Simmer  the  plums  in  this  syrup  until  they  are  tender,  about  five 


70 

% 

minutes,  but  do  not  let  them  break  ;  take  the  plums  up  carefully  and 

arrange  them  in  a  heap  on  a  shallow  dish,  letting  the  syrup  boil  about 
ten  minutes,  until  it  is  quite  thick;  then  remove  it  from  the  fire,  cool  it 
a  little,  and  pour  it  over  the  plums.  The  dish  will  cost  about  twenty- 
five  cents. 

Stuffed  Dates. — Remove  the  stones  from  a  pound  of  fine  dates,  (cost 
ten  cents,)  by  cutting  them  open  at  one  side;  remove  the  shells  and 
skins  from  half  a  pound  of  almonds,  (cost  ten.  cents;)  the  skins  can 
easily  be  rubbed  off  by  first  pouring  boiling  water  on  the  almond  ker- 
nels ;  replace  the  date-stones  with  the  almonds,  and  arrange  the  dates 
neatly  on  a  shallow  dish  ;  dust  a  little  powdered  sugar  over  them,  and 
keep  them  in  a  cool,  dry  place  till  ready  to  use.  The  dish  will  cost 
twenty-three  cents. 

Stewed  PigS. — Dissolve  four  ounces  of  powdered  sugar,  (cost  three 
cents,)  in  one  pint  of  cold  water,  and  flavor  with  a  few  drops  of  any 
essence  preferred  ;  put  into  it  a  pound  of  nice  figs,  (cost  ten  cents,) 
heat  slowly,  and  stew  gently  for  about  two  hours,  or  until  the  figs  are 
tender.  Eat  hot  with  a  dish  of  boiled  rice,  or  serve  cold.  The  cost 
will  be  less  than  fifteen  cents. 

Compete  Of  Gooseberries. — Choose  a  quart  of  large,  sound,  ripe, 
green  gooseberries,  (cost  ten  cents,)  remove  the  stems  and  tops,  throw 
them  into  boiling  water  for  two  minutes;  drain  them,  let  them  lay 
three  minutes  in  cold  water  containing  a  tablespoonful  of  vinegar,  to 
restore  their  color,  and  then  drain  them  quite  dry.  Meantime  make 
a  thick  syrup  by  boiling  one  pound  of  sugar,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  with 
one  pint  of  water;  as  soon  as  the  syrup  has  boiled  about  ten  minutes, 
put  in  the  gooseberries  and  boil  them  gently  until  just  tender,  about 
ten  minutes.  Then  pour  both  fruit  and  syrup  into  an  earthen  or  glass 
dish;  cool,  and  use.  The  dish  will  cost  less  than  twenty-five  cents." 

Gooseberry  Cheese. — Remove  the  tops  and  stalks  from  two  quarts  of 
ripe,  red  gooseberries,  (cost  twenty  cents,)  put  them  in  a  moderate 
oven  till  soft  enough,  to  rub  through  a  seive  ;  then  add  to  them  one- 
fourth  their  weight  of  sugar,  set  them  over  the  fire  to  boil  gently  for 
half  an  hour,  stirring  them  constantly,  and  skimming  till  clear;  then 
put  by  the  tablespoonful  on  plates,  and  dry  in  the  mouth  of  a  cool  oven. 
Pack,  when  quite  cool,  in  a  tight  box,  between  sheets  of  white  wrap- 
ping paper.  The  above  quantity  will  cost  about  twenty-five  cents. 

, — Remove  tops  and  stalks  from  two  quarts  of  goose- 


I,  boil  them  with  three  quarters  of  their  weight  in  sugar,  and 
haTTa  pint  of  cold  water,  until  soft  enough  to  pulp  through  a  sieve; 
then  mix  the  pulp  with  a  pint  of  milk,  or  cream,  if  a  more  expensive  dish 
is  desired,  and  put  into  an  earthen  or  glass  dish  to  cool ;  serve  cold. 
The  above  quantity  will  cost  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Grape  Jelly • — Dissolve  one  ounce  of  gelatine,  (cost  eight  cents,)  in 
half  a  pint  of  cold  water.  Break  one  pound  and  a  half  of  grapes, 
(cost  ten  cents,)  in  an  earthen  bowl  with  a  wooden  spoon  ;  strain  the 
juice  without  pressing  the  grapes,  through  clean  muslin,  three  times; 
put  the  juice  into  a  preserve  kettle  with  half  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar, 
(cost  eight  cents,)  and  the  dissolved  isinglass,  and  boil  it  ten  minutes; 
rub  a  jelly  mold  with  pure  salad  oil;  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  brandy, 
(cost  three  cents,)  to  the  jelly;  pour  it  into  the  mould,  and  cool  until 
the  jelly  sets  firm.  The  above  ingredients  will  make  about  a  pint  and 
a  half  of  jelly,  and  will  usually  cost  about  twenty-five  cents,  for  the 
above  estimate  is  rather  more  than  the  average  cost. 

Green  Gage  Compote. — Remove  the  skin  from  a  quart  of  very  ripe 
green  gages,  (cost  fifteen  cents,)  put  them  in  a  glass  dish,  sprinkle 
them  over  with  a  pound  of  powdered  sugar,  (cost  ten  cents,)  and  let 
them  stand  in  a  cool  place  four  hours,  until  a  nice  syrup  has  been 
formed.  The  dish  is  delicious,  and  costs  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Pine  Apple  Julep- — Pare  and  slice  a  very  ripe  pine  apple,  which  in 
season  will  cost  about  ten  cents;  lay  it  in  a  glass  dish;  pour  over  it  the 
juice  of  one  orange,  (cost  two  cents,)  the  juice  of  one  lemon,  (cost  two 
cents,)  a  gill  of  any  fruit  syrup,  (cost  about  five  cents,)  and  two  table- 
spoonfukof  rum,  (cost  three  cents;)  sprinkle  it  with  a  little  powdered 
sugar,  cool  it  on  the  ice,  and  serve  it  cold.  It  will  cost  about  twenty, 
five  cents. 

•  Lemon  SnOW. — Soak  one  ounce  of  gelatine,  (cost  eight  cents,)  in  one 
pint  of  cold  water  for  half  an  hour;  peel  the  yellow  rind  from  three 
lemons,  (cost  six  cents,)  and  squeeze  and  strain  their  juice ;  put  the  rind 
,  and  juice  of  the  lemons  into  a  saucepan  with  eight  ounces  of  loaf  sugar, 
(cost  eight  cents,)  and  stir  until  the  sugar  and  isinglass  are  quite  dis- 
solved ;  pour  it  into  a  bowl,  and  let  it  cool,  and  begin  to  grow  firm. 
Then  add  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  (cost  three  cents,)  and  beat  to  a 
stiff  froth.  Pile  by  the  tablespoonful  high  in  the  centre  of  a  glass  dish. 
It  is  pretty  and  delicious,  and  costs  only  about  twenty. five  cents. 

Melon  Compote. — Make  a  syrup  by  boiling  one  pound  of  sugar, 


72 

(cost  ten  cents,)  with  half  a  pint  of  water.  Pare  and  slice  a 
musk  melon,  (cost  five  cents,)  and  put  it  into  the  syrup  with  a  lime 
wine,  (cost  five  cents.)  Boil  gently  for  ten  minutes,  take  up  the  melon 
in  a  glass  dish,  cool  the  syrup  a  little,  and  pour  it  over  the  melon. 
Serve  the  compote  cold;  it  is  delicious,  and  costs  only  about  twenty-five 
cents,  * 

Orange  Salad. — Peel  six  oranges,  (cost  twelve  cents,)  slice  them, 
place  them  in  rings  in  a  glass  dish,  sprinkle  them  with  three  ounces  of 
powdered  sugar,  (cost  two  cents,)  pour  over  them  a  little  wine  and 
brandy,  aud  let  them  stand  over  night  in  a  cool  place.  A  good  dish 
full  will  cost  about  twenty  cents. 

Orange  and  Apple  CompStet — Pare  and  slice  very  thin  three  oranges, 
(cost  six  cents,)  and  three  apples,  (cost  three  cents,)  removing  the  seeds 
from  both:  lay  the  slices  in  rings  in  a  glass  dish,  cover,  with  the  follow- 
ing syrup,  and  cool.  Boil  the  orange  peel  in  half  a  pint  of  water,  with 
four  ounces  of  sugar,  (cost  four  cents,)  until  the  syrup  is  clear;  add  a 
tablespoonful  of  brandy  to  it,  cool  it  a  little,  and  pour  it  over  the  sliced 
fruit.  The  dish  is  very  nice  when  iced,  and  costs  about  fifteen  cents. 

Peach  Salad, — Pare  and  quarter  a  quart  of  ripe  peaches,  (cost  ten 
cents,)  lay  them  in  a  heap  in  a  shallow  glass  dish;  squeeze  over  them 
the  juice  of  an  orange,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  sprinkle  them  with  pow- 
dered sugar,  (cost  two  cents.)  Put  them  on  the  ice  to  get  very  cold. 
A  large  dishful  can  be  prepared  for  fifteen  cents. 

Cold  Compote  Of  Pears. — Peel  and  slice  thin  a  quart  of  Bartlett 
pears,  (cost  fifteen  cents,)  lay  them  in  a  glass  dish,  pour  over  them  a 
little  wine,  and  sprinkle  them  plentifully  with  powdered  sugar.  Let 
them  stand  in  a  cool  place  for  an  hour  before  using  them.  A  nice  dish 
will  cost  less  than  twenty  cents. 

Stewed  Pmnelles. — Put  a  pound  of  prunelles,  (cost  fifteen  cents,) 
in  enough  boiling  water  to  cover  them,  and  stew  them  gently  for  one 
hour.  Take  them  up  with  a  skimmer,  strain  their  juice,  return  it  to 
the  fire  with  four  ounces  of  loaf  sugar,  (cost  four  cents,)  the  yellow  rind 
and  juice  of  one  lemon,  (cost  two  cents,)  and  a  glass  of  wine;  skim  until 
clear,  add  the  prunelles,  and  stew  again  for  one  hour.  Take  up  the 
prunelles  in  a  glass  dish,  cool  the  syrup  a  little,  and  strain  it  over 
them.  Cool  before  using.  The  dish  can  be  made  for  about  twenty- 
five  cents. 

Quince  Cakes.— Wash  some  quinces,  boil  thdVn  in  enough  water  to 


73 

COTCT  them,  until  they  are  tender  enough  to  rub  through  a  seive:  to 
each  quart  add  a  pound  and  a  half  of  loaf  sugar,  place  the  mixture 
over  the  fire,  and  heat  to  the  boiling  point,  stirring  it  constantly,  but 
do  not  let  it  boil.  Oil  some  plates,  spread  the  quince  upon  them,  and 
dry  it  in  the  mouth  of  a  cool  oven.  Then  cut  it  in  cakes,  pack  it  in  a 
tin  box,  between  layers  of  white  wrapping  paper,  when  it  is  thoroughly 
cold,  and  keep  it  in  a  cool,  dry  place.  A  good  dishful  can  be  made  for 
twenty-five  cents. 

QllinCO  SHOW. — Boil  some  nice  quinces  until  tender,  peel  them,  rub 
them  through  a  sieve  with  a  wooden  spoon,  and  add  to  each  pound  a 
pound  of  powdered  sugar,  (cost  ten  cents,)  and  the  whites  of  three  eggs, 
(cost  three  cents.)  Beat  with  an  egg  whisk  to  a  stiff  froth  and  pile  by 
the  tablespoonful  in  the  centre  of  a  Shallow  glass  dish.  A  nice  dishful 
can  be  made  for  about  twenty-five  cents. 

Iced  Raspberries. — Beat  the  white  of  one  egg,  (cost  one  cent,)  with 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  cold  water;  pick  over  a  quart  of  fine  ripe  raspber- 
ries, (cost  ten  cents,)  dip  them  one  by  one  into  the  egg,  and  roll  them 
in  powdered  sugar;  lay  them  on  white  paper  spread  on  a  baking  sheet, 
so  that  they  do  not  touch,  and  dry  them  in  a  cold,  dry  place,  sifiing  a 
little  more  sugar  over  them,  if  they  seem  to  grow  moist.  When  the 
berries  are  in  season,  twenty-five  cents  will  cover  the  cost  of  a  large 
dish. 

Raspberry  Salad, — Pick  over  a  quart  of  ripe  raspberries,  (cost  ten 
cents,)  pile  them  high  in  the  centre  of  a  glass  dish,  pour  over  them  a 
glass  of  wine,  (cost  five  cents,)  dust  them  with  an  ounce  of  powdered 
sugar,  (cost  one  cent,)  and  keep  on  the  ice  till  used.  A  good  dishful 
can  be  made  for  about  twenty  cents. 

Compete  Of  Strawberries. —  Carefully  pick  over  a  quart  of  ripe 
strawberries,  (cost  ten  cents;)  put  them  in  an  earthen  dish,  pour  over 
them  a  syrup  made  by  boiling  quarter  of  a  pound  of  sugar,  (cost  four 
cents.)  with  one  gill  of  water,  for  ten  minutes;  let  the  berries  stand  in 
this  syrup  for  one  hour  ;  then  drain  them  and  pile  them  in  a  heap  in  a 
shallow  glass  dish;  add  to  the  syrup  the  juice  of  one  orange,  (cost  two 
cents,)  or  a  glass  of  wine  ;  boil  it  up  and  cool  it  ?.  little,  and  strain  it 
over  the  berries;  cool  and  use.  This  delicious  dish  costs  about  fifteen 
cents. 

Strawbeny  Drops. —  Rub  some  ripe  strawberries  through  a  fine 
seive  with  a  wooden  spoon  ;  add  two  ounces  of  this  juice  to  half  a 


74 

pound  of  powdered  sugar,  (cost  five  cents,)  put  the  mixture  im^a 
saucepan  and  stir  it  over  the  fire  until  it  begins  to  simmer;  remove  it 
from  the  fire,  and  stir  it  briskly  for  five  minutes,  oil  some  paper,  lay  it 
on  a  baking  sheet,  drop  the  strawberries  on  it  by  the  salt-spoonful, 
dry  them  in  the  mouth  of  a  cool  oven.  Keep  them  between  layers  of 
white  paper  in  a  cool  place.  A  good  supply  can  be  made  for  twenty- 
five  cents. 

Compote  Of  Ifized  Fruit.— Boil  half  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  (cost 
eight  cents,)  with  one  gill  of  cold  water  for  ten  minutes;  pick  over 
half  a  pound  of  red  currants,  (cost  five  cents,)  and  a  pint  of  raspberries, 
(cost  five  cents,)  and  simmer  them  in  the  syrup  for  ten  minutes.  Take 
up  the  fruit  on  a  glass  dish,  cool  the  syrup  a  little  and  pour  it  over  the 
fruit.  The  dish  will  cost  less  than'twenty  cents. 

Fruit  Juice. — Rub  ripe  fruit  through  a  seive,  with  a  wooden  spoon, 
and  then  strain  it  free  from  skins  and  seeds ;  to  every  pound  add  quar- 
ter of  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar  ;  mix  well ;  put  into  wide-mouthed  glass 
bottles,  and  set  them  in  a  pan  with  cold  water  reaching  to  the  necks 
of  the  bottles.  Set  the  pan  over  the  fire  and  let  the  water  come  to  a 
boil;  remove  the  pan  and  let  the  bottles  stand  in  the  water  until  they 
are  quite  cold.  Then  cork  them  tightly,  and  seal  them  with  wax  or 
resin. 

Keep  them  in  a  cool,  dry  place.  This  juice  added  to  ice-water,  and 
sweetened  to  taste,  makes  a  delicious  sherbet. 


THE  END. 


IIDEX. 


COST.  PAGE. 

A  la  Mode  Beef,  with,  potatoes 35  57 

Apple    Dumplings 15  64 

Bacon  and  Apple  Roly-poly,  wkh  Vegetables 25  48 

Baked  Apple  Dumplings 18  64 

Baked  Heart 25  47 

Baked  Pig's  Head 22  50 

Barley  Water 2  23 

Batter  for  frying ; 4  52 

Batter  for  frying 5  59 

Beans  and  Bacon 10  40 

Beans,   Baked 10  39 

Beans,  Fried 10  40 

Bean  Soup lo  33 

Beans,  Stewed 10  40 

Beef  ^  la  Mode 35  57 

Beef  Broth,  with  Dumplings 25  37 

Beef  Patties 30  58 

Beef  Pie 25  46 

Beer —  22 

Beer  for  Nursing  Women —  23 

Biscuits,  Sweet 17  66 

Biscuits,  Tea 6  27 

Blanquette  of  Veal,  with  Potatoes 30  61 

Brain  and  Liver  Pudding 15  56 

Bread  per  8  Ibs 24  25 

Bread  Pudding 15  63 

Breakfast  Rolls 6  27 

Broth,   Beef 25  37 

Broth,  Chicken 5  53 

Broth,  Mutton 17  36 

Broth,  Scotch 10  32 

Broth,  Veal 13  36 

Broth,  White 25  36 


76 

Cost.  Page. 

Cake,  Caraway 24  66 

Cake,  Rice ; 15  65 

Cake,  Rock 22  65 

Chicken  Broth 5  53 

Chicken,  Fried 35  52 

Cheese  Pudding 12  41 

Chocolate —  21 

Chowder 20  35 

Cocoa —  21 

Cocoa,  per  quart 6  22 

Codfish  Steaks  and  Potatoes 20  45 

Coffee .- —  21 

Coffee,  per  quart 6  22 

College  Pudding 18  62 

Cooking —  16 

Cream  Rice  Pudding 15  63 

Cream  Sauce 6  62 

Cream  Soup,  with  Macaroni \ 25  37 

Croquettes,  Rice -...- 20  65 

Cup  Custards ,,......  12  63 

Dumplings,  Apple 15  64 

Dumplings,  Apple,  Baked 18  64 

Dumpling,  Fruit 20  64 

Dumpling,  Gammon 15  48 

Dumplings,  Lemon 23  64 

Dumplings,  Norfolk 7  37 

Dumplings,  Suet 5  53 

Dessert t IO  to  25  67 

Fish  Chowder 20  35 

Fish  Pudding 25  44 

Fish  Soup 20  35 

Fish  and  Potato  Pie 25  44 

Fish  and  Potato  Pudding 15  45 

Forcemeat  for  Poultry 10  51 

Forcemeat  for  Veal , 5  60 

Fowl,  Roast 38  51 


77 

Cost.  Page. 

Fruit  Dumplings 20  64 

Fruit  Tarts 12  65 

Gammon  Dumpling 15  48 

German  Potatoes lo  55 

Gingerbread,  Soft io  66 

Half-pay  Pudding 20  63 

Hasty  Pudding .     4  42 

Indian  Bread 5  42 

Indian  Cakes 5  42 

Indian  Pudding,  Baked 15  43 

Indian  Pudding,  Boiled io  42 

Irish  Stew 23  49 

Johnny  Cake 5  42 

Kidneys,  Broiled,  with  potatoes 20  56 

Kidneys,  Pigs' io  47 

Kidney  Pudding 30  47 

Kidney,  Stewed,  with  potatoes 25  47 

Kromeskys 20  58 

Lamb,  Epigramme,  with  Broth  and  Rice 20  59 

Lemon  Dumplings 23  64 

Lentils,    Boiled 14  41 

Lentils,  Fried io  41 

Lentil  Soup • io  33 

Lentils,  Stewed io  41 

Lime  Water —  24 

Liver  Polenta 12  57 

Macaroni,  Farmers'  Style ': io  28 

Macaroni,  Milanaise  Style 13  28 

Macaroni,  with  Broth io  28 

Macaroni,  with  Cheese 12  28 

Macaroni,  with  Tomato  Sauce 18  29 

Macaroni,  v/ith  White  Sauce io  28 

Maize  —  41 


73 

Cost.  Page. 

Marketing —  10 

Measuring —  19 

Meat  Brewis 5  38 

Meat  Patties,  with.  Potatoes 30  58 

Milk —  23 

Mutton  Boiled,  with  Turnips  and  Potatoes 17  58 

Mutton  Broth,  with  Vegetables 17  36 

Mutton  Kromeskys,  with  Potatoes 20  58 

Mutton  and  Onions 3o  48 

Mutton  rechauffee,  with  Potatoes 15  58 

Norfolk  Dumplings 7  37 

New  York  Cooking  School  Fricassee 43  53 

Oatmeal  and  Peas \ 13  38 

Onion  Soup ,  10  34 

Oxtail  Stew,  with  Bread 22  46 

Patties,  Beef,  with  Potatoes 30  58 

Patties,  Veal  and  Ham 30  61 

Peas  and  Bacon 25  39 

Peas  and  Onions 10  39 

Peas,    Baked 10  39 

Peas  Pudding 10  39 

Pea  Soup 10  33 

Pea  Soup,  thick 6  33 

Pickled  Shad,  with  bread 20  54 

Pigs'  Head,  Baked % 22  50 

Polenta 5  41 

Polenta,  Liver 12  57 

Pork  and  Onions 20  49 

Pork  Chops,  with  Potatoes 25  55 

Pork  Pie 20  54 

Pork,  Roast,  with  Apples 27  55 

Potato  Bread,  per  8  Ibs 24  26 

Potatoes,  German 10  55 

Pudding,  Brain  and  Liver t  15  56 

Pudding,  Bread 15  63 

Pudding,  Cheese 12  41 


79 

Cost.  Page. 

Pudding,  College 18  62 

Pudding,  Cream  Rice 15  63 

Pudding,  Fish  and  Potato 25  45 

Pudding,  Half-pay 20  63 

Pudding,  Hasty 4  42 

Pudding,  Kidney 30  47 

Pudding,  Peas 10  39 

Pudding,  Swiss,  with  Sauce 20  62 

Pulled  Bread 3  26 

Rabbit  Curry 28  53 

Rabbit  Pie 30  54 

Red  Herrings  and  Potatoes,  with  Bread 22  45 

Rice,  Boiled 7  30 

Rice  Bread,  per  8  Ibs 25  26 

Rice  Cake 15  65 

Rice  Croquettes 20  65 

Rice,  Japanese  Style 10  30 

Rice,  Milanaise  Style 10  30 

Rice  Milk 15  35 

Rice  Panada 12  30 

Roast  Fowl 38  51 

Roast  Pork,  with  Apples 27  55 

Roast  Veal,  with  Potatoes 30  60 

Rock  Cakes 22  65 

Rolls,  Breakfast 6  27 

Salt,  Celery _  19 

Salt,  Spice —  19 

Sauce,  Cream 6  62 

Sauce,  Table,  per  pint 6  19 

Sauce,  Tomato 10  29 

Sausage,  Stewed 25  55 

Scotch  Broth,  without  Meat 10  32 

Seasoning —  18 

Soft  Gingerbread 10  66 

Swiss  Pudding,  with  Sauce 20  62 

Shad,  Pickled 20  54 


8o 

Cost.  Page. 

Sheep's  Head  Stew 25  46 

Sheep's  Haslet 17  49 

Soup,  Bean 10  33 

Soup,  Cream 25  37 

Soup,  Fish. 20  35  ' 

Soup,  Lentil 10  33 

Soup,  Onion 10  34 

Soup,  Pea 10  33 

Soup,  Spinach ; 15  34 

Soup,  Thick  Pea 6  33 

Soup,  Vegetable 20  34 

Spinach  Soup 15  34 

Stuffing  for  Poultry IO  51 

Stuffing  for  Veal 5  60 

Suet  Dumplings 5  53 

Sweet  Biscuits. 17  ^5 

Table  Sauce,  per  pint 6  19 

Tarts,  Fruit 12  65 

Tea —  21 

Tea  Biscuit 6  27 

Tea,  per  quart 3  22 

Tincture  Lemon —  19 

Tincture  Orange « —  19 

Tincture  Vanilla —  19 

Tomato  Sauce 10  29 

Tripe,  Curry  and  Rice 27  56 

White  Broth,  with  Macaroni 25  36 

Veal  and  Ham  Patties 3°  6* 

Veal  and  Rice 20  49 

Veal,  Blanquctte,  with  Potatoes 30  61 

Veal  Broth,  with  Vegetables 13  36 

Veal,  Roast,  -with  Potatoes 3°  6o 

Vegetable  Sou],   and  1   con 20  34 

Vegetable  Porridge »•  *5  35 


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FEB  I?  1380 


LD21-35m-8,'72 
(Q4189slO)476 — A-32 


General  Library 

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